Hoddy Mahon
Encyclopedia
Horace J. "Hoddy" Mahon was the head coach of the Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball
team during the 1981-82 season. He succeeded Bill Raftery
and preceded P. J. Carlesimo. He was a longtime assistant coach for the Pirates and was hired to replace Raftery, who left to pursue his communications career. He was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Preceeding his tenure at Seton Hall, he was a very successful New Jersey high school coach at Orange High School
and at Essex Catholic High School
. He brought both schools to the state finals. He won the Essex county and state championships while at Orange. Mahon's college coaching career began at Fordham University
as an assistant to Hal Whistle, where he helped recruit players Ken Charles and Charlie Yelverton
for the Rams.
After Fordham, he joined Raftery at Seton Hall as an assistant for 12 years. While head coach, he knocked off the University of Houston
and Phi Slamma Jamma
in a huge upset and started the season with a 9–1 record. Then, two starters and one bench player who played large minutes were declared academically ineligible for the Pirates' second half of the season. Despite this, Mahon finished with a respectable season. However, even after doing this, Mahon was not hired by the university at the end of the season. In the end, Seton Hall decided to hire the younger, more energetic P. J. Carlesimo instead of the older, more conservative Mahon. This effectively ended Mahon's tenure at Seton Hall and he later took the reins at both William Paterson University
and Upsala University, both of which are New Jersey schools. At both institutions he recorded winning records.
He died at his Allenhurst, New Jersey
home in 2011.
Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball
The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey...
team during the 1981-82 season. He succeeded Bill Raftery
Bill Raftery
Bill Raftery is an American basketball analyst and play-by-play announcer and former college basketball coach.-High School:...
and preceded P. J. Carlesimo. He was a longtime assistant coach for the Pirates and was hired to replace Raftery, who left to pursue his communications career. He was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
Preceeding his tenure at Seton Hall, he was a very successful New Jersey high school coach at Orange High School
Orange High School
Orange High School may refer to:*Orange High School *Orange High School *Orange High School *Orange High School *Orange High School...
and at Essex Catholic High School
Essex Catholic High School
Essex Catholic High School was a four-year Catholic high school located in Newark and East Orange, New Jersey. Essex Catholic High School opened in 1957...
. He brought both schools to the state finals. He won the Essex county and state championships while at Orange. Mahon's college coaching career began at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
as an assistant to Hal Whistle, where he helped recruit players Ken Charles and Charlie Yelverton
Charlie Yelverton
Charlie Yelverton is a former American basketball player. A 1.88 m tall guard-forward, he was drafted 25th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1971 NBA Draft, but only appeared in one NBA season. He then headed to Europe and Ignis Varese...
for the Rams.
After Fordham, he joined Raftery at Seton Hall as an assistant for 12 years. While head coach, he knocked off the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
and Phi Slamma Jamma
Phi Slamma Jamma
Phi Slama Jama was the nickname of the University of Houston Cougars men's basketball teams from 1982 to 1984. Coined by former Houston Post sportswriter Thomas Bonk in a January 3, 1983 article, the nickname was quickly adopted by the players and even appeared on team warmup suits by the middle...
in a huge upset and started the season with a 9–1 record. Then, two starters and one bench player who played large minutes were declared academically ineligible for the Pirates' second half of the season. Despite this, Mahon finished with a respectable season. However, even after doing this, Mahon was not hired by the university at the end of the season. In the end, Seton Hall decided to hire the younger, more energetic P. J. Carlesimo instead of the older, more conservative Mahon. This effectively ended Mahon's tenure at Seton Hall and he later took the reins at both William Paterson University
William Paterson University
William Paterson University is a comprehensive public institution located in Wayne, New Jersey serving nearly 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students through five colleges: , , , , and ....
and Upsala University, both of which are New Jersey schools. At both institutions he recorded winning records.
He died at his Allenhurst, New Jersey
Allenhurst, New Jersey
Allenhurst is a Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 496.Allenhurst was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 26, 1897, from portions of Ocean Township...
home in 2011.