Frank Maloney, who coached the Syracuse football team during the construction of the Carrier Dome, died Monday at age 79.
The Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard reported that Maloney died at his Chicago home from complications related to metastatic brain melanoma.
Maloney led the then-Orangemen from 1974-80, producing a 32-46 record. Syracuse reached just one bowl game in his tenure, beating McNeese State 31-7 in the Independence at the end of the 1979 season behind quarterback Bill Hurley, running back Joe Morris, wide receiver Art Monk and linebacker Jim Collins.
Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said in a statement, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Coach Maloney. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and former players. Coach Maloney led our football team during a time of transition, taking over the program after Coach (Ben) Schwartzwalder’s 25-year tenure. He developed many young men, several of whom went on to very successful business careers and a number of talented players who went on to the NFL.”
Under Maloney, Syracuse won its last game at Archbold Stadium in 1978, then produced a 7-5 record in 1979 despite having no true home games. The Orangemen contested two of their designated home games in East Rutherford, N.J.; two in Orchard Park, N.Y.; and one in Ithaca, N.Y.
Syracuse won the first game at the Carrier Dome, beating Miami (Ohio) 36-24 on Sept. 20, 1980.
Maloney’s assistant coaches included future coaching notables Tom Coughlin and Nick Saban as well as future Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo.
Maloney was an offensive lineman for Michigan from 1959-61, and he served as an assistant coach for the Wolverines from 1968-73. He later spent 29 years in the Chicago Cubs’ ticket department, 27 years as the ticket director.
