“The expectation is to win… win immediately.”
Those are the words of Malachi Timberlake, who is a 23-year old graduate of Florida Tech and will be taking over a high school’s football program.
Pleasantville, New Jersey — a school whose program is looking for some direction — just recently hired the 23-year old as their new Head Football Coach.
He becomes one of the youngest to be hired as a head coach ever and will look to give the program — who went 0-10 this past season — a jumpstart.
Timberlake was on the coaching staff at local high school Cedar Creek High, where he played high school football as well.
At Cedar Creek High as a star player, Timberlake caught the game winning touchdown in the 2015 South Jersey final as the Pirates went on to defeat West Deptford.
When asked about that moment and his high school career with the Pirates, Timberlake told The Sports Place:
“That moment is probably my biggest moment playing the game of football. I think I’ve taken a lot of the tangibles and foundations that the Cedar Creek football program was built on and added it to my coaching style and what I look to build at Pleasantville High School.”
Malachi Timberlake via The Sports Place
As an defensive backs coach last season, Timberlake and Cedar Creek went an undefeated 14-0, winning the Group III Championship.
We asked him about his season with the Pirates, where he had lots of good things to say:
“Being able to go back to my alma mater & giving back to the program that gave me everything was one of the best feelings ever… I think the biggest thing I will be able to take away from this past season is the preparation that’s needed on the weekly basis to get an elite program ready week in and week out.”
Malachi Timberlake via The Sports Place
Pleasantville, who was looking to get back to being in a position to contend in South Jersey Group II, had coach Daryl Doughty as their interim head coach for the time being. Under Doughty in 2021, the Greyhounds went 0-10.
Looking for a new head coach — Timberlake was the guy for the job.
“[I am] excited to get back to those kids. I have a special relationship with the kids of Pleasantville,” said Timberlake who spent his first season coaching with Pleasantville in 2020.
He expressed his confidence in the program to The Sports Place:
“It was literally just two years ago the football team was in the semifinals playing against Camden High-School, ready to take the league late in the third quarter. It’s going to be a challenge [to get back] but the game wouldn’t be fun if there wasn’t any challenges.”
Malachi Timberlake via The Sports Place
According to Christopher Doyle, members in the Pleasantville community felt that the “instability” of the head-coach position before the hiring of Timberlake was damaging the team. There was reportedly no one to lead offseason lifting programs.
Timberlake was asked about how he plans to move forward with the program in terms of consistency and getting the program back on the right track, in which he told The Sports Place:
“I just plan to keep it about football… In terms of getting the boys back on track, we will start our off season program immediately. This upcoming Monday we will have our first team meeting and then we will start our weight room program the next day on Tuesday.
Malachi Timberlake via The Sports Place
The immediate impact that Timberlake will make on the program will help get everyone on board and ready to get back to making a run.
When asked what to expect as the new head coach of the Greyhounds, he said:
“I’m winner and come from a winning background. I think the fans are going to enjoy the style of play that they see from the Pleasantville Greyhounds Football Team. I’m going to give these young men everything I have as their coach and to make sure they’re gaining valuable characteristics and traits that will translate to the real world when they leave high school.“
Malachi Timberlake via The Sports Place
Timberlake and the Greyhounds will their fresh start in the fall of 2022 and will be an interesting team to look out for.
