EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell announces the hiring of Toni Malone as the eighth head coach for the Bushnell women’s soccer program.
Malone brings a strong coaching and playing background and recently served as an assistant coach with the Westside Metros in the Women’s Premier Soccer League. She also led the Westside Metros U16 girls soccer academy, which she helped lead to a nationally competitive level.
“We are excited to announce Toni Malone as our next Head Coach to lead our women’s soccer program,” said Athletic Director Corey Anderson. “As a female leader with a solid Christian foundation, Coach Toni really stood out as we got to know her during the hiring process. While we had a number of very qualified candidates apply for this opportunity, Toni’s positive energy, ability to communicate and relate with our young women, strength as a player, coach and recruiting professional, along with being a mental health therapist, will serve her and our program well, as she leads Bushnell Women’s Soccer moving forward.”
Coach Malone has been an influential leader in the recruiting world for the past four years as the Co-Owner, Co-Founder, and Director of Creative Operations, Recruiting, and Development for The Female Edge, holistically supporting over 30 athletes in their quest to secure collegiate athletic opportunities.
“I want to thank Corey Anderson and the hiring committee at Bushnell for this opportunity,” said Malone. “I am excited to build a program that players are proud to be part of and that people across Bushnell and Eugene are proud to stand behind. It has been thrilling to see Bushnell grow over the years and to watch the momentum this women’s soccer program has built. I am excited to create an environment where our players feel supported, challenged, and connected to something bigger than themselves. Playing in the highly competitive Cascade Conference, I look forward to building on that momentum and helping take this program to another level. I’m excited to bring a high-tempo, attacking style of soccer that is aggressive, enjoyable to play, and exciting to watch, and that reflects the standard we want to set.”
Malone prepped locally, playing at Thurston High School before a five-year career at Oregon State University. She was a Team Captain for the Beavers for two years and earned team MVP honors along with Pac-12 Player of the Week nominations.
Malone said, “Coming back to Eugene to lead Bushnell women’s soccer means a lot to me, because this community shaped so much of who I am. Bushnell felt like the right place for me because of the people, the momentum around the program, and the chance to build something meaningful back in a community that gave so much to me.”
After her time at OSU, Malone had the opportunity to play professionally on the international soccer scene, signing her first professional contract with FC Wacker Innsbruck in the Frauen Bundesliga in Austria. She went on to play for Hibernian FC in the Scottish Women’s Premier League and with SJK Seinajoki in Finland.
Anderson said, “Toni’s background as an NCAA Division I women’s soccer player and team captain along with a three-year professional career in Europe, has exposed her to a very high level of soccer, along with different coaching styles and philosophies along her journey. Her ability to transition from high school to D1 to playing professionally took faith, courage, moxie and grit. These qualities and experiences have shaped her as a competitor and will help guide her as she continues to develop and expand her own coaching philosophies as a first-year collegiate head coach. We are looking forward to working with Toni on this journey together.”
Malone graduated from Oregon State in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and went on to secure her master’s in psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Counseling from Grand Canyon University.
Coach Malone replaces Halle Meadows, who announced in January that she was leaving to take the head coach position at NCAA Division II Chico State. She takes over a program on the rise after the Beacons secured their first winning season in 2025 at 7-6-4, earning their highest finish ever in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, taking fifth place. The Beacons have qualified for the CCC tournament in two of the past three years.
Potential recruits are encouraged to reach out to Coach Malone via email (tmalone@bushnell.edu) or at 541-514-5561.