Jack McMahon

John Joseph "Jack" McMahon


Born:
December 3, 1928
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
June 11, 1989
Chicago, IL


Career
1945-46 St. Michael's High School - Brooklyn (High School)
1949-50 St. John's University (College)
1950-51 St. John's University (College)
1951-52 St. John's University (College)
1952-53 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1953-54 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1954-55 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1955-56 Rochester Royals (NBA)
1955-56 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1958-59 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks (NBA)
1961-62 Kansas City Steers (ABL) Head coach
1962-63 Chicago Zephyrs (NBA) Head coach
1963-64 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach
1964-65 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach 
1965-66 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach
1966-67 Cincinnati Royals (NBA) Head coach 
1967-68 San Diego Rockets (NBA) Head coach
1968-69 San Diego Rockets (NBA) Head coach

1969-70 San Diego Rockets (NBA) Head coach
1970-71 Pittsburgh Condors (ABA) Head coach 
1971-72 Pittsburgh Condors (ABA) Head coach 
1974-75 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1975-76 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1977-78 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1978-79 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1979-80 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1981-82 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1983-84 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1984-85 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1985-86 Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant coach
1986-87 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Assistant coach
1987-88 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Assistant coach
1988-89 Golden State Warriors (NBA) Assistant coach

A scrappy player who played on the strong St. John's teams of the earl 1950's, Jack McMahon was drafted by the Rochester Royals of the NBA. The 6'1 guard would play three full season with the Royals and was halfway through his fourth when he was traded to the St. Louis Hawks. In his second full season with the Hawks, he was a key part of the team as they won the NBA championship. He would finish his 8-year NBA career with the Hawks, and continue in the game as a coach, scout and administrator.

McMahon was hired to coach the Kansas City Steers in the fledgling American Basketball League in 1961. After the season, he was hired to coach the Chicago Zephyrs in the NBA. He unfortunately only lasted half-way into the 1962-63 season, being fired in December of 1962 after a 12-26 start. He was not out of coaching for long, as in June of 1963, the 33-year old McMahon was hired to lead the Cincinnati Royals, the team who drafted him when they resided in Rochester. He coached the Royals for fours seasons, making the playoffs each year, before leaving the club in 1967 to become the head coach and general manager for the expansion San Diego Rockets.

After a rough inaugural season (which is normal for first-year teams), the Rockets improved in McMahon's second year at the helm and made the playoffs, losing to the Hawks in 6 games. A slow start in 1969 lead to another December dismissal for McMahon, and the next two seasons would see him lead the Pittsburgh Condors in the ABA. He was hired by the 76ers in 1972 as the director of player development, and eventually became an assistant coach as well. In his decade-plus with the Sixers, McMahon played a key part in scouting and developing the players that lead to many great teams. In 1986, he parted ways with Philadelphia to join the Golden State Warriors. In June of 1989,
he was attending a pre-draft camp in Chicago in order to scout for the Warriors. He fell asleep in his hotel room while reading a book one night, and never awoke. He was 60 years old.

Jack and his wife, Katherine, had three children.

Source:
UPI Obituary, June 11, 1989
Obituary, Washington Post, June 12, 1989

Stats:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/mcmahja01.html
https://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=mcmahja01