Coach James P. Mahaney
Graduating class: 1968
Inducted into Hall of Fame: 2008
Hall of Fame Category: Coach
Coach Mahaney enlisted in the Navy after high school and was honorably discharged in 1972. After working on the waterfront and in local manufacturing, he decided to use the G.I. Bill and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Southeastern Massachusetts University.
During his years in college he began to assist the FHS Hockey program and took over as head coach in 1974. The team had its share of success earning Southern MA Conference Div. III titles in 197S and 1981 and a Co-Championship in the inaugural year of the South Coast Conference in 1985. Coach Mahaney's hockey program, well known for hard work, hustle and sportsmanship also distinguished itself as ambassadors for FHS. His teams always traveled to games in shirts and ties and created a tradition of visiting St. Luke's children's ward on Christmas Day each year.
Jim began coaching football in 1981 as a freshman coach and later as an assistant coach at the high school level. In 1982, be became the Boy's Spring Track assistant coach and took over as head coach in 1983. His pole-vaulters won the State Class D Pole Vault title in 1986 and 1987.
A desire to move to school administration forced a decision on coaching and Coach Mahaney left his beloved hockey program in 1987 to pursue his Master's Degree at Bridgewater State College. It soon became apparent that the time required to perform his administrative duties would not do his athletes justice and he resigned from Boys' Track as well.
In his teaching career, he had taught at Hastings Junior High School. and moved to FHS in 1984. In 1988 he became vice principal at the Hastings Middle School and assumed the principalship in 1999, leaving in 2001 to take the helm at the newly constructed Normandin Middle School in New Bedford.
Coach Mahaney is a freelance writer and an educational consultant. He is currently looking forward to retirement this month and spending time with his wife Carole and their three daughters Beth, Jennifer and Jamie.
His grandchildren, Erin and Andrew are his joy.