LORETTO, Pa. (July 6, 2011) – Saint Francis University men's basketball head coach Don Friday has announced that John Mahoney will join his staff, effective immediately. A veteran coach with over 23 season of experience, Mahoney most recently served in the same capacity at the University of Michigan for three seasons (2007-10).
“I'm very excited to have John Mahoney join our staff at Saint Francis,” said Friday. “He possesses all the necessary values and qualities with regard to teaching and coaching basketball in addition to a diverse resume of winning basketball.”
“We welcome Coach Mahoney, his wife Mary and his sons Dolan and Keegan to our family.”
During his time with the Wolverines, Mahoney helped the program to wins over six nationally-ranked opponents – including two in the top five – and an NCAA tournament berth in 2009. He was directly responsible for recruiting and developing six All-Big Ten selections including 2011 NBA Development League Rookie of the Year DeShawn Sims.
“I'm appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of a great program like Saint Francis,' said Mahoney. “I'm excited for the opportunity to be a part of Coach Friday's staff. He's a great teacher and has immense knowledge of the game of basketball.”
Prior to his hiring at Michigan, Mahoney was the Director of Basketball Operations at West Virginia for two years (2005-07) under coach John Beilein. During his tenure, West Virginia posted back-to-back 20-plus win seasons, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2006 NCAA Tournament and won the 2007 Postseason NIT title. On a day-to-day basis with the Mountaineers, Mahoney assisted with all the program and office operations as well as the coordination of team travel. He also served as the director of the West Virginia Summer Basketball Camps and the Coaches Clinic.
Before his tenure with West Virginia, Mahoney spent four years as an assistant coach at Duquesne (2001-05) working under Danny Nee. Before Duquesne, Mahoney spent three years at Robert Morris University (1998-2001), where he again was an assistant under Nee (2000-01). While coaching the Colonials, Mahoney helped the program to a Northeast Conference runner-up finish in 1999-2000 and a third place finish in 1998-99.
Before entering the Division I coaching ranks, Mahoney was the head coach at Mount Aloysius College for four years (1994-98). While at Mount Aloysius, he was instrumental in the school's move from junior college to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level during the 1997-98 season. When he first arrived at Mount Aloysius, he closed with just six wins his first season (6-22, 1994-95), but doubled that total with 12 the following season (12-15, 1995-96) and advanced to the semifinals of the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Tournament.
In the following season, he again doubled the prior season's win total finishing with a 23-7 overall mark. During the 1996-97 season, the Mounties were the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference runner-up and went to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 20 finals. Mahoney left Mount Aloysius as the program's all-time winningest coach with 52 wins.
The Burgettstown High graduate began his coaching career at Our Lady of Sacred Heart High School in Coraopolis, Pa., where he served as boys' head coach from 1986-94. In addition to winning the school's first three sectional titles (1992, '93, '94), Mahoney led OLSH to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Class A finals two times (1992, '94) as well as advancing to the second round of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) state championship during those same seasons. He was inducted into the OLSH Hall of Fame in 2003.
Mahoney completed his undergraduate degree in business/information technology from the University of Phoenix in 2001.
