Rogers Mounties Hire Veteran Coach Jason McMahan to Lead Boys Basketball Rebuild

Former Bentonville and Siloam Springs coach returns to 6A West with a championship pedigree and NBA development résumé, aiming to revive Rogers basketball

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The Rogers Mounties are coming off another losing basketball season, recording a 15-14 overall record and only winning four games in the Arkansas 6A West. After the previous head boys' basketball coach, David Ferrell, decided to return to West Fork High School as their athletic director for this coming year, Rogers was left with the need to fill the void at head coach. On June 17th, they found their man.

A New Era in "The City"

Jason McMahan returns to Northwest Arkansas, this time as the head coach of the Rogers Mounties. McMahan previously served as the boys' basketball head coach at 6A West rival, Bentonville High School. He coached the Tigers for eight seasons before stepping down in 2017. While at Bentonville, he coached the Tigers to two state championship appearances.

Before he coached at Bentonville, McMahan served as the head coach at Siloam Springs, leading them to a championship in 2008.

He also has experience in international coaching, having spent time in Mali, Africa, training the Malian National Team. Additionally, McMahan helped a professional team in Mali reach its league championship game three years in a row and was key in the team's promotion to the top league in the country.

His ties to the Northwestern African country run deep. While still the head coach at Bentonville, he conducted camps in Mali and collected basketball shoes to be sent to the region.

Coach McMahan's Lengthy Resume

Jason McMahan's career has been long and successful. His teams have appeared in the Arkansas state playoffs nine times and won four conference championships. He has been to six final fours and appeared in three championships, winning one (with Siloam Springs). Not only can Coach McMahan help teams to the playoffs, but he can help high school hoopers make it to the professional level.

He has coached four players who have ended up in the NBA during his coaching career, helped fourteen high school and more than thirty-five international athletes receive scholarships to play basketball in college. The most notable of his former players who is hooping at the highest level is Malik Monk, who transferred to Bentonville after his freshman season at East Poinsett County High School in Lepanto, Arkansas. Monk was a highly sought-after 5-star recruit in the class of 2016, committing to play for one season at the University of Kentucky before being selected as the eleventh overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Monk has developed into a solid scoring guard, currently playing with the Sacramento Kings.

The Supporting Cast

In addition to the hiring of Jason McMahan, Rogers hired Alex McKnight to serve as McMahan's assistant coach. McKnight previously worked under McMahan at Bentonville, but since then had been the head basketball coach at Lincoln Junior High School for 12 seasons, and most recently served as the school's assistant principal.