CURT SYNNESS
When Tom McMahon was a young boy growing up in Helena, Montana, he witnessed a hometown hero’s participation in a TV event that helped spark a dream that is now five decades in the making. In 1978, when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl X, 9-year old Tom and the McMahon family were like most of Helena’s citizenry back then, in holding a special interest in the Cowboys’ starting left offensive tackle: No. 67, Pat Donovan.
Donovan, a 1971 Helena High graduate and 2-time All-American at Stanford, took part in five NFC championship games and three Super Bowls with Dallas, sandwiching their victory over the Broncos between losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers (1976, 1979).
“That memory of seeing Pat Donovan win that Super Bowl, has stayed with me all these years,” related McMahon, 56, during a recent phone interview from his home in Henderson, Nevada.
As a player, he’s been part of a state high school and three college conference football championships, along with several college conference titles as a coach, including an American Football Conference chipper.
Nearing his 19th season as an NFL assistant coach (special teams coordinator since 2009) and fourth as the Las Vegas Raiders’ special teams coordinator, McMahon exemplifies the sporting credo that regardless of what level and no matter your status – whether clubhouse man, or player, or coach, or owner, et al – a championship is always the crown jewel.
But in the interim, Tom McMahon will take a short respite from that chase this summer, when his family and close friends attend his induction into the Montana Pro Football Hall of Fame, on June 27-28, in Billings. At that time he and Bill Sprinkle will join fellow Capital City inductees, Pat Donovan (charter class 2016), Casey FitzSimmons (2018), Bob McCullough (2019) and Dan Carpenter (2021), into the Hall. Carroll College alum Dan Rambo was enshrined in 2023, as well.
Sporting roots
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Coach McMahon is the ninth of ten natural children of the late Dr. John “Jack” McMahon (1931-2015) and Joan (nee Livingston) McMahon (1934-2020). His biological siblings include, in order, Jack Jr., Steve (deceased), Joan Marie, Joe, Mary Anne, Mike, Tim, Mary Ellen and Dick. Also included in the family are Kathy (adopted), and foster children Ramon, Charlie (deceased), Ron (deceased), Nancy and Sunny, whom Jack and Joan considered their own.
Coming from a sporting family, Tom played youth baseball, basketball and football. In 1981, he was selected to the Helena Pee Wee League All-Stars – made up of the Capital (American) and Helena (National) All-Stars – which took part in an 8-team tournament in Pincher Creek, Alberta.
“My Small Fry football and Church basketball teams were coached by City Manager Al Thelen, (Capital and Carroll football standout) Monte Thelen’s father,” he related, “and our hoops team won the city championship.”
And speaking of Small Fry Football, prior to signing up for his first year of tackle football as a fifth-grader, there was more than just a small amount of concern for his well-being, considering an incident which took place several years earlier.
“Back in the summer of 1974, 4-year old Tom fell off a horse in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and hit his head on the only rock within 50 yards, suffering a fractured skull,” according to an Independent Record article published prior to McMahon’s final game for Carroll on November 7, 1991. “(But) he was lucky in the fact that not only one doctor, but two, were on that horseback outing.
“The surgeon who trained me was with us,” Dr. McMahon told the IR, and the two of them “opened his skull” to relieve the pressure before a helicopter could be brought in to airlift Tom to a hospital.
Mom said “No”
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When Tom got old enough for the gridiron, Mrs. McMahon was “dead-set against him playing,” but the neurosurgeon who installed an acrylic plate in his head “gave the approval” to go ahead and play.
A three-year letterman and 2-year starter for Capital High football at cornerback and wide receiver, Tom was a member of the Bruins 1987 state championship. After CHS defeated Butte High in the chipper 14-12, he was selected second team All-State defensive back.
McMahon told this reporter that what stood out about CHS head coach Jim Tuss, “was his energy and consistency – his identity always stayed the same.” Regarding defensive coach Walt Chancy, his strengths included “his wide knowledge base. Walt was a great teacher, he had all the answers.”
Tuss guided the Bruins to 120 wins in 17 seasons from 1979-95, and four Class AA chippers, winning twice (1987, 1993); while Chancy co-coached the Bruins’ 1995 title with Tuss, and directed Capital to its first undefeated (12-0) championship in 1996.
McMahon was a two-way performer in the next summer’s East-West Shrine, while garnering a grid scholarship to Carroll College. As a true freshman and part-time player, he was a member of the Saints’ 1988 undefeated (9-0) Frontier Conference championship. With senior Paul Petrino at quarterback, the Purple-and-Gold won their opening round NAIA playoff game over Central Washington, before losing to Oregon Tech in the quarterfinals.
3-year Saints starter
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He cracked CC’s starting lineup in the defensive secondary in the season lid-lifter his sophomore year, and served in that capacity during each of his final three seasons on the Hilltop. As a junior in 1990, he helped the Saints to their sixth successive conference title.
In the IR article previously mentioned, it was noted that Tom was concluding 12 straight years (4 Small Fry, 4 high school, 4 college) on the gridiron with a plate in his head.
“Tom’s mother has watched very few of his college games, while his father has seen every contest he’s played,” the 1991 article related. Tom said at that time he’d “never even thought about the head injury as far as football is concerned.” And that he was more concerned about a receiver beating him on a pass play, or not getting the football set right as the holder on extra points and field goals.
At 5-foot-8, 160-pounds and just 4.6 speed (in the 40), he admitted that “almost every” receiver he covered was faster, so he had to “keep his cushion, play hard and play smart,” in order to be competitive.
CC defensive coordinator Rick Wells told the paper that McMahon had always been a hard worker. “Tom has average speed for a college cornerback,” Wells said. “(But) he’s a great team player, an over-achiever, and he is smart. There’s never been any question about that.”
And it’s those attributes that have carried Tom McMahon to the top of his profession.
“Putter”
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Legendary head coach Bob “Putter” Petrino directed the Saints for 26 years, and ranks high among those shaping Tom’s coaching model.
“One of the biggest things I learned from Coach Petrino, was the value of a teammate, and that everybody had to contribute,” he related of the Hilltoppers’ skipper, who garnered 19 Conference titles between 1971-97. “Coach knew every single one of us and what buttons to push in order to get the most out of all of us.
“Ya know, he had that reputation of toughness. But one thing Coach Petrino does not get enough credit for is throwing an arm around your shoulder when you needed it. He valued each of us accordingly and made you feel important individually.”
From cleats to clipboard
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A math major with a 3.7 GPA, after graduating college McMahon’s coaching career began in the fall of 1992 as Carroll’s secondary coach. Next he served as an assistant for Bozeman High – where brother Dick McMahon reminds us that his Capital freshman defeated Tom’s Hawks’ frosh – before returning to CC in 1994.
The next 11 seasons were spent on the sidelines at Utah State, as a graduate assistant (1995-97), linebackers/special teams (1998-2000) and defensive line/recruiting coordinator (2001-05). His final four years there were under coach Mick Dennehy, former head man at Helena High (1979-81) and the University of Montana (1996-99). In 1997, the Aggies captured the Big West Conference championship, before losing to Cincinnati in the inaugural Idaho Potato Bowl.
Next came a stint with the University of Louisville in 2006, as the outside linebackers/special teams coach. Under head coach (CHS and Carroll alum) Bobby Petrino, the Cardinals won the Big East Conference championship with an 11-1 record before beating Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl.
“We were one play away from an undefeated season,” Tom related. The Cardinals’ 8-game win streak was snapped by Rutgers in a narrow 28-25 loss, when the Scarlett Knights overcame a 25-7 deficit and booted the winning field with 13-seconds left on the clock. Louisville finished at 12-1 and ranked No. 5 in the nation.
Tom broke into the NFL in 2007, as Atlanta’s assistant special teams coach, along with Bobby (head coach) and brother Paul (wide receivers) Petrino. He spent two years with the Falcons, where his unit set an NFL record of just 49 punt return yards allowed in a season. And speaking of the Petrino brothers, Tom, Bobby and Paul have coached together for a total of 5 years; at Utah State (1995-97), Louisville (2006) and Atlanta (2007).
He then became the St. Louis Rams special teams coordinator from 2009-11, a position he has maintained ever since in the NFL for the last 16 years. With Kansas City in 2012, Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Close, no gumdrops
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At Indianapolis from 2013-17, McMahon’s units ranked in the NFL’s top five in field goal percentage, net punting average, gross punting average, and kickoff return average. Three of those Colts’ squads ranked among the top 10 in special teams efficiency by “Football Outsiders.”
His Pro-Bowlers included long snapper Matt Overton (2013), punter Pat MacAfee (2014, 2016) and kicker Adam Vinatieri (2014), who set an NFL record with 44 straight made FGs during that span.
The Colts garnered two AFC Southern Division titles. In 2014, they defeated the Broncos in the divisional semi-finals, and then lost to the New England Patriots for the AFC championship. Tom reminded Yours Truly that’s the closest he’s come to a Super Bowl…so far.
Next, McMahon went to the Broncos, from 2018-21, where he joined former MSU All-American and Denver defensive line coach Bill Kolar on the sidelines. There, Tom mentored Pro Bowl long snapper Casey Kreiter (2018). In 2020, Bronco kicker Brandon McManus tied an NFL season record with 10 50+yard field goals.
Viva Las Vegas
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In 2022, Tom was originally hired by Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels, and he remained there under coach Antonio Pierce in 2023-24. This past January 29, new Raiders’ head coach Pete Carroll announced that McMahon was the first assistant he was retaining.
During his initial season in Vegas, Tom’s group produced two Pro Bowl selections – kicker Daniel Carlson and punter A.J. Cole. Carlson broke an NFL record with 11 field goals of 50-plus yards and ranked No. 2 in field goal percentage (91.9). Cole finished second in percentage of punts downed inside the five (8.5%) and was No. 4 in punting average (48.8 yards). The special teams unit also allowed the second-lowest kick return average in the NFL, at 20.1 yards per return.
In 2023, McMahon’s special teams unit led the NFL with a 45.1 net punting average. They downed 45.3% of punts inside the 20-yard line as well, ranking fifth in the league. Cole has since earned two more Pro Bowl selections, established the Raiders punting average record and set the NFL single-game mark of 63.6 yards per punt (since broken).
“The Raiders would be hard-pressed to find somebody with more experience than Tom McMahon,” wrote blogger and Raiders’ aficionado Austin Bird.
Up Close and Personal
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In 1994, Tom married the former Kim Sullivan of Anaconda. The daughter of longtime Copperhead hoops coach Bill Sullivan, Kim was a 7-time State track champion in the 400 and 800, and ran for the University of Montana.
Tom and Kim have three children, sons Emmett and Dawson, and daughter Quincy. Emmett is a producer for the Pat McAfee Show and executive producer of the Hammer DAHN sports gambling podcast. Quincy was an All-Conference soccer defender at UCLA, and now plays professionally for for the San Diego Wave FC of the NWSL.
For about 8-9 years during the 2010s, Tom came back to Helena on the first day of vacation to put on a “mini-clinic” for some of Capital’s players. “My brother Dick (Bruin assistant) and (head coach) Kyle (Mihelish) would call, so I’d come up and talk to the kids about special teams stuff,” he related. “It was just a simple invite, a morning deal.”
Plus I’m sure it gave Dick a chance to get out the needle again and brag to the guys about the win over his brother’s Hawks. “Oh yeah,” confirmed Dick McMahon. “Every chance I get I remind him how the Bruins dominated.”
And although the McMahon family has lived in seven different states over the course of his 32 years, he said “My kids consider Montana home. We spend a lot of time in the summer at Georgetown Lake, and we have a cabin at Ashley Lake.”
Chasing the White Whale
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Tom described his feelings regarding his selection to the Montana Pro Football Hall of Fame, as “I’m just very grateful. I’m a one-word guy.” But then he continued.
“Most people don’t realize how important roots are,” he said. “They (your mentors) gave you the wings to take off.”
McMahon mentioned several coaches in the college and pro ranks – guys like Mick Dennehy, Bill Kolar and Rock Gullickson, (former teammates) Kevin Peoples, Paul Petrino and Troy Purcell, and (alma mater colleague) Bobby Petrino, to name a few – who are “never that far away.”
“Montana is our connection, we always help each other out. They’re genuine people…we trust each other.”
He added that he’s coached several native Montanans in the pros, including Kroy Bierman (Atlanta 2008), Chase Reynolds (St. Louis 2011), Colt Anderson (Indianapolis 2014-15) and Mike Person (Indianapolis 2017). Plus, Tommy Mellott has recently joined the Raiders, as well.
Colt Anderson (#32), Butte High/UM Griz alum, and Tom McMahon celebrate the Colts' 2015 AFC semi-final win over Denver, advancing the AFC finals versus New England.
Courtesy photo
As for how much longer he plans on staying in the game, after so many highly effective years near the top of his profession, the ultimate prize remains. “It’s not much different than when we came so close in ’06 at Louisville,” he said. “I want a Super Bowl.”
And like Captain Ahab’s pursuit of Moby Dick, it’s that quest to join Pat Donovan’s SB fraternity that keeps him motivated.
**NOTE**: The Montana Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will be held at the Billings Hotel & Convention Center on June 27-28. For details and/or ticket information, visit [mtfootballhof.com](http://mtfootballhof.com) or phone Janet Schuh at 406-598-3297.
_CURT SYNNESS, a freelance writer and Helena sports historian, was a sports writer for the Independent record from 1998-2025._
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