Buffalo State College

Dr. Gail F. Maloney, former Senior Associate Athletics Director and long-time women’s basketball coach, was honored by the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) at its annual awards banquet earlier this week. Maloney was presented with the Dr. Patrick R. Damore Distinguished Service Award for her numerous years of commitment and contributions to the growth of the SUNYAC.

She is the third recipient from Buffalo State to receive this award, joining former athletic directors Howard MacAdam and Fred Hartrick, who were honored in 1988 and 1997, respectively.

Best known locally for her 21-year career as Buffalo State’s women’s basketball coach, Maloney amassed a record of 374-154 (.708). Her teams captured seven State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships and made nine trips to the NCAA Playoffs, including a berth in the round of 16 in 1984 and a quarter-final appearance in 1994. She also guided Buffalo State to an appearance in the EAIAW East Regional in 1981. She was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year in 1984, 1989 and 1994. Following the 1994 season, Maloney was also named Coach of the Year by the Converse Division III, District II and the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association.

Maloney also excelled in administrative roles with the Intercollegiate Athletics Department, including serving as interim director. Assuming the position as Senior Associate Director of Athletics in 2001, a position she held until her retirement in March, she began administering student services, focusing on advancing the welfare of all student-athletes. She then added business management responsibilities, improving accounting and budgetary procedures.

Since arriving at the college in 1978, Maloney was instrumental in the school adding women’s cross country, women’s track and field, women’s soccer, softball, women’s lacrosse and women’s ice hockey, and was a driving force in the construction of the Sports Complex.

In addition to stints coaching softball and field hockey at Buffalo State, Maloney served on the NCAA Regional and National Softball Committee, the Women’s Basketball Division III All-America selection committee and the Legislative Committee and also served the SUNYAC Conference on many committees I as well as serving as the SUNYAC President in 1997-98.

She is considered one of the area’s foremost experts on Title IX. She earned her Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education-History of Education from the University at Buffalo in 1995. Her dissertation was titled: The Impact of Title IX on Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics. Maloney also has a master’s degree in student personnel services from Buffalo State and a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Cortland. Prior to coming to Buffalo State in 1978, Maloney coached and taught in the Amherst Central Schools.

Maloney was inducted into the C-Club Athletics Hall of Fame at SUNY Cortland in 1998, was honored with the Buffalo State College President’s Award for Excellence in Service to the College in 2004, and received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 2006.