McMahon Appointed To East Carolina Football Staff
January 06, 2005 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Greg McMahon has been named tight ends and special teams coach at East Carolina University according to an announcement from head football coach Skip Holtz Thursday.
Prior to his appointment at ECU, McMahon spent 13 years on the Illinois staff working primarily with the Fighting Illini tight ends and wide receivers before adding more responsibility in 1997 as the program's special teams coordinator.
While working under head coaches Lou Tepper (1992-96) and Ron Turner (1997-04), McMahon played an integral role in leading Illinois to four bowl game appearances and a pair of season-ending national rankings, including a No. 12 standing in 2001 after UI captured the Big Ten Conference championship, rolling to a 10-2 record.
McMahon's reputation and success directing the Illini special teams unit perhaps has few equals based by the amount of school record-holders which have benefitted from his tutelage, including current punter Steve Weatherford who earned consecutive All-Big Ten honors the last two seasons and finished fourth nationally with a 45.4 average in 2004. In addition, McMahon also coached Illinois' career punting leader Steve Fitts, single-season and single-game kick scoring leader Neil Rackers, all-time punt return yardage leader Eugene Wilson and kicker Peter Christofilakos, who established a new UI standard in consecutive extra points made with 69.
Since taking over Illinois' special teams play, McMahon also instilled a successful kick defense strategy which resulted in 16 blocked kicks over the past four seasons. In addition, Illini special teamers have accounted for nine touchdowns during the same span.
As a tight ends coach, McMahon's unit developed as one of UI's strongest offensive weapons in the past eight years, accounting for an average of 20 catches, 200 yards and three TDs per season. He cultivated the growth of Josh Whitman into an All-Big Ten performer, and subsequently, a current roster position with the Seattle Seahawks - joining former Illini tight ends Matt Cushing (Pittsburgh) and Ken Dilger (Tampa Bay) in the National Football League.
"Greg's career has demonstrated a strong sense of loyalty, commitment and unmatched expertise in a very critical and important area of our program," said Holtz. "He's had a lot of success with special teams play, tight end production and recruiting in the Big Ten Conference, which certainly stands on its own merit."
In addition to his on-the-field duties, McMahon also headed Illinois' discipline and conduct control while also serving as the program's academic support staff liaison, which resulted in a pair of first-team GTE-CoSIDA Academic All-America selections for Whitman, who delivered the scholar-athlete speech at the College Football Foundation's Hall of Fame Dinner.
McMahon, 45, came to Illinois in 1992 from Nevada-Las Vegas, where he spent two years coaching offensive tackles and tight ends. He also served tenures on the Valdosta (Ga.) State, Southern Illinois, North Alabama and Minnesota staffs after playing in two NCAA Division II National Championship Games as a defensive back at Eastern Illinois (1978, 1980). He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from EIU in 1983.
McMahon and wife Linda are the parents of two sons (Drew and Sam) and one daughter (Lisa).
McMahon is the ninth official hire for the newly-appointed Holtz, joining defensive line coach Donnie Thompson, offensive line coach Steve Shankweiler, offensive assistant coach Phil Petty, running backs coach Junior Smith, defensive coordinator Greg Hudson, linebackers coach Rock Roggeman, wide receivers coach Donnie Kirkpatrick and director of football operations Clifford Snow on the Pirates' staff.
