Shortly after stepping down as Tennessee Tech’s head football coach, Mike Hennigan has rescinded his resignation.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Hennigan will be back on the sidelines for his 11th season.

Doug Malone

Tech officials expect Hennigan to request a medical leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act, and have named offensive coordinator Doug Malone as acting head coach, effective immediately.

“I’ve approved Mike’s rescission of his resignation, and his medical leave of absence will also be approved upon his providing the appropriate documentation required by university policies,” says Athletic Director Mark Wilson.

Hennigan cited personal reasons when he submitted his resignation earlier this week, indicating that he had health concerns that he was working to resolve.

“Our hope is that Mike Hennigan can find answers to his health issues,” Wilson says.

“We have great confidence in Doug Malone’s leadership and we’re excited about the upcoming season,” he adds. “We know that our student-athletes and coaches will pull together to ensure success.”

Malone, 45, will handle the day-to-day operation of the Golden Eagle football coach as acting head coach.

“Our thoughts and prayers all along were that it would never come to this for Coach Hennigan,” Malone says. “There is no greater man or coach out there than Mike Hennigan, and I hope I can do half the job he has done.

“I’m extremely excited about the season, and I see this challenge as an opportunity. I’m looking forward to working with our student-athletes in this capacity. I’m excited about the prospects of the season and where the program can go.”

Malone came to Tech prior to the 1999 season after serving five years as head coach at Wingate University. Prior to becoming the head coach at Wingate, Malone spent eight seasons as an assistant coach and offensive coordinator at that institution, and has spent the past seven years as Hennigan’s offensive coordinator.

Malone’s efforts and coaching skills have paid major dividends during the past seven years. After a record-setting season on offense in 2001, the 2002 unit became only the second in school history to have a 2,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher.
Besides his responsibilities coordinating the offensive attack, Malone also works on a day-to-day basis with Tech's quarterbacks.

Malone on the sidelines

After a couple of years in transition, Tech enjoyed tremendously increased production in 2000 under Malone's imaginative system. After gaining 3,000 yards and averaging 20 points in Malone's first season, the Tech offense piled up nearly 4,000 yards in 2000 and scored an average of nearly 30 points per game.

During the past five years, the Tech offense has smashed several school records, including a number of marks established by quarterback Robert Craft, who holds more than 10 Golden Eagle records.

Malone began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Texas at El Paso where he worked with the offensive line. After that stint, he was an assistant for three years at California State University in Northridge, coaching linebackers and serving as coordinator of the kicking game.

During his five seasons at Wingate, Malone’s best season was an 8-3 record in 1997, a mark that still stands as the school’s most victories. In his first season, the team posted a 3-7 record that included three losses by a total of four points. The following year, his team upset a powerful Carson-Newman team — Malone’s alma mater — to avenge a big loss to the Eagles just one year earlier. In his final season, the team posted a 5-6 record in 1998, losing the season finale by just one point.
In his 41 games at Wingate, the Bulldogs were only shut out one time.

A native of Greeneville, Tenn., Malone holds a bachelor's degree in physical education and health from Carson-Newman College and a master's degree in sports sciences from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala.

Malone continues to be quite active in coaching organizations and has been published in the American Football Coaches Association Summer Manual for a paper on "The Kicking Game."

Malone and his wife, Jenny, have two daughters, Megan (22) and Molly (19), and one son, Derek (17). They also have one granddaughter, Kenry.