A long-time basketball junkie who walked on at Oregon State and played professionally overseas has been hired as the next women’s basketball head coach at Mt. Hood Community College.
The school announced Leah McMahon will take the reins of the program.
“Coach McMahon’s remarkable journey reflects her dynamic leadership style and ability to adapt,” said Dr. Kim Hyatt, athletic director. “With her leadership we are confident our women’s basketball program will thrive.”
McMahon’s basketball career began on the courts of Marist High School, where she was point guard from 1989 to 1992, helping lead the Spartans to an 81-21 record with four-straight state tournament appearances and a bronze medal.
In 1992 she walked on to the Oregon State basketball team, playing for Coach Aki Hill. After three seasons as a walk-on, she was awarded a full athletic scholarship. In her senior season she earned the team’s Leadership Award for Campus Connections.
McMahon traveled to Australia and New Zealand to play for Athletes in Action. She then returned to stateside to pursue a marketing career, working for National Media Group in New York, AthletesVillage.com in Phoenix, Lucy Sportswear, Moda Center and Reed College.
Her coaching stints began while in the marketing world, with time at Aloha High School, St. Mary’s Academy, Warner Pacific University and camps across the Pacific Northwest.
In 2005 she opened a small coffee shack in Gresham — Silk Espresso — which eventually expanded to five locations. In 2011 she penned a memoir of that journey through coffee and basketball: “At First Sip.”
McMahon lives just outside Gresham with her husband Bubba and her golden retriever. She enjoys photography, reading and watching women’s sports.
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