LEWISTON, Maine — Malik Hall, who has spent most of his career as an assistant at Division I programs, has been named the head football coach at Bates College.
Hall, who becomes the 20th head football coach in the program’s 124-year history, comes to Bates after spending three seasons as the defensive line coach at the University of Pennsylvania.
Before Penn, he served as an assistant at Wagner, Fordham, Hofstra, Central Connecticut State and his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts.
“We are delighted to welcome Malik Hall to the Bobcat family,” Bates College Director of Athletics Jason Fein said in a news release. “Once we interviewed him, it was crystal clear that coach Hall has both the experience and vision to take Bates football to the next level. We’re excited to see what happens on the field.”
Hall succeeds Mark Harriman, who stepped down in April after 20 seasons as the Bobcats’ head coach. Under Harriman, Bates captured seven Colby-Bates-Bowdoin titles, including the last four straight.
The defenses with whom Hall worked have been among the conference and national leaders and he has helped mentor numerous all-league performers.
“It’s my great honor to accept the head coaching position at Bates,” Hall said in a release. “I am very much looking forward to building upon Bates’ traditions of academic excellence and relentlessness on the field. The Hall family can’t wait to join the Bates family.”
Hall, a native of Detroit, earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and education from UMass in 2003. He played two seasons under head coach Mark Whipple, helping the team advance to the Atlantic 10 Championship game in 2003 while totaling 46 tackles and two sacks.
Creating a sense of family and community among players is among Hall’s goals as a coach.
Hall and his wife Ayesha are parents of three children, Malik, Kayah and Asah.
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