Malone Alumni News

  Congratulations to Shane Byler '14 and the Lake Center Christian Tigers on winning the OHSAA Division VI state championship!  Shane played baseball at Malone for two years before choosing to stop and begin his coaching career in 2012. He graduated from Malone in 2014 with his BS in Middle Childhood Education. Over the past fourteen years, Shane has developed and grown the LCCS program; last year, they made it to the state championship and lost to Hiland High School. This year, they defeated that same team to secure their first state championship.  Congratulations to Shane and his entire team on this accomplishment! For more details, you can view his post-game video interview with the Canton Repository here . 

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA) has hired RiCarlo "Rico" Bell '16 to serve as the school's athletic director. Rico joins CVCA after serving with Fellow of Christian Athletes, and in management and sales positions before that. Rico played football for Malone from 2013-2015 and graduated with his BA in Exercise Science. Congratulations to Rico on this accomplishment! We look forward to seeing how you keep Christ's Kingdom First in this new chapter at CVCA! For the full press release, click here .

   Congratulations to Trevor Beerman '18 who was named Head Coach at Eastern Michigan University! Trevor played baseball during his time as a Pioneer and graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration and Sports Management.  Trevor has spent the past three years at EMU and most recently served as their interim head coach for the 2026 season. In addition to his experience coaching, Trevor has built a growing reputation in player development and recruitment.  Congratulations to Trevor on this exciting accomplishment! The Pioneer community is cheering you on as you prepare for the 2027 season.  For the full press release, click here . 

  Congratulations to Kevin Paustenbach '10 who was recently named Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at Ferrum College! Kevin graduated from Malone with a B.A. in Sports Management, and has spent his career coaching at various universities and colleges.  You can read the full press release here . We're cheering for Kevin as he and his family start this exciting new chapter! 

  Brenda Lee Pavlantos '89 passed away on June 10, 2026 from complications following spinal surgery in August 2025.  She was a proud graduate of Timken High School, Class of 1974. Brenda continued her education by earning her Associate degree from Stark State, her Bachelor's degree in Business from Malone University, and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Brenda was an example to everyone she met of what it truly means to trust Christ completely. As a preteen, she was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, a journey that led to more than 30 major surgeries which drove her love of medicine and understanding the human body. When she was recently asked about the highlights of her life, she spoke about her early surgeries that restored her mobility functions and allowed her to live fully-as a wife, mother, Yiayia, and devoted member of her church and community. She considered that ability to keep moving forward one of her greatest accompli...

Robert "Bob" Grams '56 passed away peacefully at home on June 5, 2026. Bob was raised in Ypsilanti and grew up on a farm, where he learned the value of hard work, responsibility, and perseverance at an early age. After graduating from high school, he continued his education at Cleveland Bible College, now Malone University, where he pursued his passion for music and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Education and Music. He later received his Master's Degree from Youngstown State University, reflecting his lifelong commitment to learning. While attending Cleveland Bible College, Bob met the love of his life, Wilma J. Howard. The two were married on August 9, 1952, and shared nearly 73 years together until Wilma's passing on March 31, 2025. Bob devoted 32 years to teaching in the Austintown School District, where he served at Frank Ohl and Fitch Schools. In 1957, Bob and Wilma joined the Salem First Friends Church, where their faith became a central part of their ...

  Shane Byler '14 was featured in the Canton Repository for his coaching career at Lake Center Christian School. This will be the second consecutive year Lake Center has made it to the state semi-finals, and Shane's fourteenth year coaching. Shane stopped his own baseball career here at Malone to become the head coach at Lake Center in 2012.  Congratulations to Shane for this wonderful feature, and we're cheering the Tigers on for their final games in the coming weeks! Click here to read the full article . 

Dorothy Mangrum Murphy '56 passed away peacefully into the presence of Jesus on May 7, 2026, at the age of 90. Dottie Ann was born on July 30, 1935, and enjoyed a sweet childhood as a pastor's kid. Through that experience she passed along a strong Christian heritage to her children and grandchildren.  Dottie attended Cleveland Bible College (Malone University) in Canton, Ohio and it was there that she met the love of her life and husband, Danny Ray Murphy '59. Their shared journey began on August 4, 1956, and would span over five decades and produce four children. Dottie dedicated 23 years to the Baptist Foreign Mission Board as a Human Resources Manager. While she excelled in her career, her greatest joy remained her family.  She continued to find enjoyment in her crafts and gardening as well as being a loving grandmother to her many grandchildren. Our prayers are with Dorothy's family and friends during this difficult time: that the love and comfort of Christ would fi...