Ikaika Malloe is leaving the islands for the Ivy League.

After one season as a member of the Hawaii coaching staff, Malloe is heading east to become the defensive coordinator at Yale.

Malloe, a Kamehameha graduate, was the Warriors' special teams coordinator and assisted with the defensive line in his lone season on UH head coach Greg McMackin's staff and agonized over the decision before finally opting to leave Hawaii for Connecticut.

“;It's very tough,”; Malloe said. “;Even now that I've made the decision it's still tough. ... It's been very stressful over the last week.

“;My ultimate goal, like I told Coach McMackin, is to someday be in his position (as a head coach). I feel God has blessed me with this opportunity and I want to make the best of it.”;

Malloe's departure leaves the Warriors two vacancies on the coaching staff. Alex Gerke left UH last month to coach the offensive line at Utah State.

UH began advertising Gerke's position last week and McMackin said he wouldn't fill that post until after the staff completes the recruiting process. Positions must be posted for at least 10 days before being filled.

“;Ikaika did a great job on the field and in recruiting for us and I wish him and his family all the best,”; McMackin said.

Malloe's connection to new Yale head coach Tom Williams dates to their time together at Washington.

Williams, a former Hawaii assistant who was introduced as Yale's new head coach Jan. 7, was an assistant with the Huskies from 1999 to 2001. Malloe, a standout Huskies safety, began his coaching career as a student assistant at Washington in 1997 and stayed in Seattle until 2001.

“;Tom and I have a long history and, like a lot of other coaches, Tom has been one of my biggest mentors,”; Malloe said.

After leaving Washington, Malloe had coaching stints at Western Illinois and UTEP before joining McMackin's staff at UH.

“;I'm glad I got to spend that year with him and got to see a different perspective on special teams,”; said former UH long snapper Jake Ingram, who is in Alabama preparing for Saturday's Senior Bowl.

“;In the spring he worked with me on some things that really helped me with my snapping and made me a more confident player. A lot of the success I had this year is because of him.”;