Malham, 274-122-4, counting

The ninth in a series profiling the 2015 inductees into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Mike Malham Jr. says he was shocked when he received the word last December that he had been voted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Not that Malham doesn't have the credentials to be a Hall of Famer.

Malham, an all-conference linebacker as a football player at Arkansas State in the 1970s, has become one of the state's winningest and most respected head coaches in football during a 34-year run at Cabot.

It's the timing that caught Malham off guard.

"I'm still actively coaching," said Malham, 62, who will be inducted with 11 others in a ceremony Friday at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. "But I'm humbled and I appreciate it."

Malham, who has been the head football coach at Cabot since 1981, is 274-122-4 at the school, making him the state's third-winningest coach all time, trailing Tommy Tice (284), who is still active at Huntsville, and Barton's Frank McClellan (367).

The Panthers, using a decidedly unique and run-oriented Dead-T offense, have won two state championships (1983, 2000), been state runner-up three times (1997, 1998 and 2013) and advanced to the state semifinals 11 times during Malham's tenure.

Malham was an accomplished football player, first at Little Rock Catholic and for four years at Arkansas State (1972-1975), where he was a two-time All-Southland Conference linebacker.

In addition to his coaching position, Malham taught geometry at Cabot for 33 years before having his schedule reduced to one class this school year, an ACE program class.

Malham joins his father Mike Malham Sr. in the Hall of Fame. Mike Malham Sr., a former high school coach at Little Rock Catholic and assistant coach at Arkansas State, was inducted in 1999.

"How many father-sons are in the Hall of Fame?" Malham Jr. said.

That number is believed to four, with this year's class featuring two sons of past Hall of Fame inductees -- Malham and Stephen Jones, the son of Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones.

There is also Billy Ray Smith Sr. and Billy Ray Smith Jr., former Arkansas football All-Americans. And the Burnett family, with father Clell, a noted athlete and coach, and sons Bobby and Billy, who played for the Razorbacks in the 1960s.

"That's odd," Malham said. "But it's kind of neat."

Malham was asked about the key to his success.

"You can't win without great assistant coaches and great players," Malham said. "We've had our share of championship seasons."

Malham, as a player, was part of Arkansas State's 11-0 undefeated team in 1975 that saw the Indians finish No. 21 in the final Associated Press poll.

"That was a heck of a team," Malham said. "It was the highlight of my playing career. Right place, right time."

Eleven players from the 1975 ASU team were drafted by teams in the NFL, including Malham, who was selected in the 17th round by the Chicago Bears. But he spent 1976 on injured reserve and a broken arm in 1977 ended his playing career.

Malham first served as an assistant at Jacksonville before arriving as Cabot's head coach in 1981.

The Panthers have been one of the state's most consistent teams, and Malham said the community and the school's administration are big reasons why.

"Football has always been a big deal in Cabot," he said.

Malham said he considered leaving Cabot to take the Jonesboro job in 1999.

"The grass may always seem greener," Malham said. "But I knew what we had here."

When asked how many years he still wants to coach, Malham said he wants to go until at least 66, joking that's when Social Security will kick in for him.

"I'm enjoying it," Malham said. "My health is good."

Sports on 02/24/2015