Jordan Malone - Defensive Backs (Nickels / Safeties) - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Jordan Malone

Title:
Defensive Backs (Nickels / Safeties)

Jordan Malone was hired as Oklahoma State's defensive backs coach in December 2025. He coaches the Cowboys' nickels and safeties.

He came to OSU from North Texas, where he served as the nickels/outside linebackers coach for the Mean Green for the 2025 season.

In his lone year at UNT, he was part of a staff that helped improve the Mean Green by nearly 10 points per game in scoring defense, by 90 yards per game in total defense and by more than 100 yards per game in passing defense. The 2025 UNT defense ranked among the top 25 in the FBS in fumbles recovered (No. 3), turnovers gained (No. 4), passing yards allowed (No. 8), passes intercepted (No. 14) and passing efficiency defense (No. 14).

Malone joined the Mean Green staff after a brief stint as an assistant coach at Wake Forest, initially following head coach Jake Dickert from Washington State to Wake Forest after spending five seasons working for Dickert with the Cougars.

In 2024, Malone served as the defensive passing game coordinator/safeties/nickels coach at WSU, helping the Cougars post an 8-5 overall record and earn a trip to the Holiday Bowl. WSU finished the 2024 season 27th in the FBS in both interceptions and turnovers forced.

Malone was elevated to defensive passing game coordinator after spending the 2021-23 seasons as the safeties and nickels coach and serving as a defensive analyst in 2020. He helped the Cougars earn three bowl berths in his five seasons on staff.

In 2023, Malone helped oversee a WSU defense that led the country with five defensive touchdowns. His safeties/nickels group that accounted for two of the top three tacklers on the team, including Jaden Hicks who became as fourth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 2022 season saw the Cougar defense rank third in the Pac-12 Conference in scoring defense and second in red zone defense. The 2022 campaign saw Hicks earn third team freshman All-America honors and senior Armani Marsh pick up honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors.

After beginning 2021 as a defensive analyst, Malone was elevated to cornerbacks coach in October. Thrust into the role mid-season, he helped the WSU pass defense show dramatic improvement, allowing 193.7 yards per game over the final six contests compared to 236.6 in the first seven games. The Cougars also picked off eight passes in the final six games of the season.

Malone mentored senior Jaylen Watson, who garnered 2021 All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors for the second-straight season and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl title as a rookie.

Prior to WSU, Malone worked three seasons as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Augustana University (S.D.) where he produced one of the top Division II defenses in the country in 2019, ranking fourth in scoring defense, fifth in takeaways, eighth in the third-down defense, No. 12 in rush defense and No. 19 in total defense. In his three seasons leading the Augustana defense, Malone produced one All-American, one All-Region selection and 16 all-conference honorees.

Prior to Augustana, Malone worked the 2015 and 2016 seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Minnesota State University where he coached the defensive backs, the punt and punt return teams and served as the recruiting coordinator. The 2015 defense finished among the top Division II defenses in the country including total defense, rushing defense, scoring defense and fourth-down defense while the punt team led all of Division II in net punting. In 2015, Malone helped three players earn All-NSIC honorees.

In 2014, Malone served as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator for Augustana (S.D.). The Augie defensive backs tallied eight interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Prior to joining the Vikings’ coaching staff, Malone spent the 2013 season with Augustana (Ill.) where he was responsible for the defensive backs and the strength and conditioning program. Malone boasted an all-conference player as the defense notched 24 turnovers.

Malone spent the 2010 season as the defensive coordinator and co-special teams coordinator at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. Prior to his stint north of the border, he coached the outside linebackers and nickel backs at Central Arkansas in the 2008 and 2009 seasons where he guided three all-conference players. Malone also served as a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs at Emporia State University (Kan.) and Wayne State College (Neb.).

Malone earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Minnesota State in 2006, before completing his master’s degree in health, physical education and recreation at Emporia State in 2007.

As a player, Malone played in 44 games through four seasons with the Purple and Gold and received All-NCC First Team and All-American honors in 2004. For his career, he tallied 216 tackles, seven interceptions, three fumble recoveries and ranked eighth all-time in solo tackles 141.

Coaching History
2006-07: Emporia State, Graduate Assistant
2008-09: Central Arkansas, Assistant Coach, Outside Linebackers/Nickels
2010: Simon Fraser University, Defensive Coordinator, co-Special Teams Coordinator
2011-12: Washington Park High School (Wis.), Defensive Coordinator
2013: Augustana (Ill.), Defensive Backs Coach, Strength and Conditioning
2014: Augustana University (S.D.), Special Teams Coordinator, Defensive Backs
2015-16: Minnesota State, Assistant Coach, Defensive Backs
2017-19: Augustana University (S.D.), Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Backs
2020: Washington State, Defensive Analyst
2021: Washington State, Assistant Coach, Cornerbacks
2022-23: Washington State, Assistant Coach, Safeties and Nickels
2024: Washington State, Defensive Passing Game Coordinator
2025: North Texas, Assistant Coach, Nickels/Outside Linebackers
2026: Oklahoma State, Assistant Coach, Defensive Backs