Maehlman’s enduring standard at Jonesboro

Maehlman’s enduring standard at Jonesboro

By Robert Alfonso Jr.

Jonesboro, Ga. — Daniel Maehlman has never been one to campaign for attention. He doesn’t need to. On a game night at Jonesboro High School, his presence does the talking.

It carries in a coach’s bark that cuts through the gym, in a standard that never wavers, and in a program that has become synonymous with postseason basketball. For more than two decades, Maehlman’s Cardinals have shown up in March as reliably as the calendar itself.

Jonesboro (21–7) did it again Tuesday, surviving a 76–69 overtime battle with Marist in the first round of the GHSA state playoffs. The reward is another home date on Saturday — this time against Westminster — and another chance to add to a résumé built on consistency and conviction.

This season marks Jonesboro’s 19th trip to the state playoffs and its 16th consecutive appearance. The Cardinals are 18–1 in first-round games under Maehlman, who has guided the program to 16 region championships in 21 seasons, including this year, and two state titles. In a profession defined by turnover, Maehlman has made stability his signature.

The program’s motto is as direct as its coach: Winners find a way. Losers find an excuse.

“My philosophy and how I coach my kids have not changed,” Maehlman said. “I was taught discipline and defense. Do the little things well. Give maximum effort. Do the right thing. Treat others the way you’d want to be treated. Teamwork. Care about each other. And most importantly — family.”

That emphasis on family is not a slogan. It is a through line.

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Maehlman grew up without a father and found structure, accountability, and purpose through sports. Coaches became role models. Gyms became classrooms. The lessons he absorbed then — about discipline, relationships, and belief — are the same ones he now passes along.

“I wanted to have the same impact on young people’s lives that those coaches had on mine,” he said.

Maehlman’s path took him from Archbishop Moeller to Alderson Broaddus University, then south to Georgia in 1999. He arrived at Jonesboro not long after — and never left. Twenty-six years later, he remains the program’s anchor, adapting to the modern game without abandoning the principles that built it.

The offense has loosened over time. Players are given more freedom, more space to create. The defense, however, remains non-negotiable.

“If you genuinely care about the kids you coach and they feel that love,” Maehlman said, “you can accomplish anything. They’ll run through a brick wall for you. It’s not always about X’s and O’s.”

The results speak clearly: 469 career wins, multiple region Coach of the Year honors, and back-to-back Georgia Coach of the Year awards in 2014 and 2015. At 51, Maehlman is still chasing wins, but never at the expense of values.

He is also quick to redirect credit.

Jonesboro’s success has been sustained by a loyal, largely volunteer staff — assistants who stayed not for stipends, but for pride. Terry Jones (20 years) and Rawn Nunn (15) are Jonesboro graduates. Ty Horton (12), Randy Marshall (10), and Lamar Lester (6) helped build the program’s backbone. Horton is the only assistant on stipend.

“You can’t run a program by yourself,” Maehlman said. “You have to have good people you trust. That speaks volumes about their character, dedication, and loyalty. I’m only as good as the people around me.”

For a coach who says little about himself, that may be the loudest statement of all.