Jon Malgradi takes the helm as Mesa Community College's Head Coach for the Thunderbirds Softball Program.
Malgradi brings a bevy of playing and coaching experience to a program steeped in tradition. His four years (2000-2004) coaching with the Amateur Softball Association's 14-U and 16-U squads with the Arizona Hotshots gives Coach Malgradi a hotbed of young prospects to rebuild the program.
The 2005 Arizona State University graduate in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Psychology, Malgradi also played collegiately while at Fresno State during the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Unfortunately, his playing career was cut short due to extensive damage in his pitching shoulder. Malgradi played alongside former Mariner and Tiger pitcher Jeff Weaver at FSU.
In addition to his experience, Coach Malgradi has a direct line to the 2008 National Champion Arizona State Sun Devils Softball Program and their Head Coach Clint Myers. Coach Myers has Malgradi's wife, Kirsten Voak as his Pitching Coach.
Voak is ASU alum that played from 1999-2002 under Head Coach Linda Wells.
"I expect to play and beat Phoenix College at Regional Championships then moving onto Peoria, Illinois for National Championships, this year," says Malgradi.
Most recently, Malgradi coached at Central Arizona College in 2008 as he led the Vaqueros to a .403 team batting average, and a record 484 runs in 62 games. Coach Malgradi has never had a team bat under .385.
In 2006-07, Malgradi coached varsity at Seton Catholic High School where he also taught science, biology, and anatomy physiology. In winning a state title at Seton Catholic, Coach
Malgradi's team went 20-2, breaking 21 of 23 school records in the process.
"No one will out-work or out-train Mesa Softball," says the skipper.
Malgradi's first coaching job was with freshman baseball at Mt. Eden High School in Hayword, California, a team that went 14-2 in 1999.
Moving to Arizona in 2000, Malgradi was hired to coach at Aprende Middle School in Chandler. Aprende is a feeder school into Corona Del Sol High School, a major player in the high school baseball ranks.
Malgradi owes a great deal of his coaching perspective to a much-heralded manuscript entitled "The Mental Game of Baseball" by Karl Khuel. The elements in that piece have helped mold Coach Malgradi's style.
Coach Malgradi has a bevy of knowledge to draw from in his assistant coaches.
Assistant Coach Dan Rector brings 25 years of softball coaching experience as both of his daughters played at Central Arizona College. Rector will be Malgradi's Hitting Coach.
Jay Voak, Malgradi's father-in-law, brings a lifetime of coaching expertise to Mesa Community College. Voak will be Malgradi's Pitching Coach. Malgradi hopes to bring in one more assistant for infield work.
Growing up in Hayword, California, Malgradi played high school ball at Cordova High School alongside current big-leaguer and World Champion Right-Fielder with the Philadelphia Phillies, Geoff Jenkins. Malgradi and Jenkins are still business associates and friends.
"Much of what I saw Geoff go thru as a touted recruit in high school taught me a lot about the perspective of remaining business-like and professional at all times," says Malgradi.
Malgradi is confident the players that make his roster will be the team to hang a National Championship banner, ending Mesa's 28-year National Championship drought.
Malgradi and his wife Kirsten are expecting their first child this coming September.
jon.malgradi@mcmail.maricopa.edu
480-461-7322
