Former Men's Basketball Coach Hoddy Mahon Passes Away
11/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Former Seton Hall men's basketball coach Horace J. "Hoddy" Mahon of Allenhurst passed away peacefully on Friday, Nov. 25, 2011 at his home.
Mahon served as an assistant coach for Bill Raftery from 1970-1981 before taking over the head coaching reigns for the 1981-82 season. The Pirates went 11-16 in his lone season as head coach.
His 10 years as an assistant coach make him the longest tenured assistant in Seton Hall men's basketball history.
He was born in Scranton, PA and moved to Old Bridge before settling in Allenhurst 35 years ago. A graduate of Our Lady of Good Council High School, Newark (where he was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2009), he received his BS Degree from St. Peter's College, Jersey City. Mahon was a Veteran of the US Army from 1954 - 1956 and a member of the B Corp All Europe Basketball Team. He played for the Iron Dukes semi-pro team from 1951 -1961.
Hoddy was a math teacher and Basketball coach at Immaculate High School, Montclair from 1958-61, Woodbridge High School 1961-63 and at Orange High School from 1963-68, where he won the State Championship in 1968 as well as helping the team become number #1 in the State (27 - 0) and was named Coach of the year.
He then coached at Fordham University from 1968-69 and Essex Catholic from 1969-70, where he won the Parochial A North Championship before beginning his career at Seton Hall.
After his lengthy Seton Hall tenure, he coached at William Patterson College from 1985-88 and Upsala University from 1988-91.
Mahon leaves behind his wife Josephine, six children and 17 grandchildren.
