OTTAWA, Kan. — The Ottawa University women's flag football program is pleased to announce the addition of Jackson Mallory as an assistant coach, head coach Abby Brown announced.

Mallory joins the Braves with previous collegiate coaching experience at Ottawa University and a strong connection to OU Athletics as both a former student-athlete and coach. He spent two seasons, from May 2022 through May 2024, as a graduate student assistant coach with the Ottawa University men's basketball program. In that role, Mallory assisted with practice planning, game strategy, player development, individual and group training, film study and scouting. He also served as head coach of the Braves' junior varsity program.

"I am very excited to have Jackson joining our coaching staff this year," said Brown. "I have known him for many years, and I have full confidence that he will bring the energy, enthusiasm, and passion we value in an assistant coach. While his background is in basketball, he is passionate about flag football and eager to contribute to our program. Having been involved at OU as both a student-athlete and coach from 2017 to 2024, he has seen firsthand the legacy of this program being built from the ground up and understands what it takes to sustain that success. I know he will do everything he can to continue building on that foundation. I am excited to have him back on campus and look forward to the impact he will have on our program. 

Before moving to the coaching side, Mallory was a five-year letterwinner for the Ottawa men's basketball program. The Lawrence, Kan., native finished his career ranked second in program history with 456 assists and tied for third with 167 steals. Mallory concluded his playing career with 577 points, 527 rebounds, 456 assists and 167 steals.

During his final season in 2021-22, Mallory appeared in 32 games and made 18 starts for the Braves. He averaged 2.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while finishing with 97 assists and 53 steals. He shot 44 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from behind the 3-point line.

Mallory's coaching background also includes work with the Livin' The Dream Basketball Organization from March 2023 through August 2025. He coached athletes at several age levels and developed training programs focused on fundamentals, teamwork and understanding of the game. He also organized practices and tournament participation.

"Ottawa University was the place I proudly called "Home" for seven years as both a member of the Men's Basketball team and the coaching staff," said Mallory. "I could not be more excited to be back rocking the Black and Gold; this time, working alongside Coach Brown! Ottawa University Flag Football has built a culture and tradition that is truly second to none, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. I cannot wait to help continue building on the program's history and contribute to the success of Ottawa Flag Football!"

Away from collegiate athletics, Mallory has worked in education. He served as a licensed substitute teacher in the Lawrence school district from September 2022 through August 2024 before becoming a physical education teacher at Southwest Middle School in Lawrence in August 2024. In that position, he developed and implemented physical education lesson plans for students in grades 6-8 while promoting teamwork, sportsmanship and healthy lifestyle habits.

Mallory earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sports Studies with a concentration in coaching from Ottawa University in May 2022. He completed his Master of Arts in Education with an emphasis in elementary education from OU in May 2024.