by AAK Maitland Woody.
Meet Ahmed Mahgoub, or “Med” for short, Kingfisher Public Schools’ new physical education teacher and junior high boys basketball coach.
Originally from Sudan, Med grew up on the Missouri side of Kansas City, where he graduated from Oak Park High School in 2020. Ever since he picked up a basketball in fifth grade, playing at the collegiate level had been one of his biggest goals.
That dream began at Allen Community College in Iola, Kansas. Coming out of high school, Allen was the only college to offer him an opportunity to continue playing. His freshman season, which came in the fall following the COVID-19 pandemic, was a challenging one, with the Red Devils winning just seven games. The following year, however, Allen won its conference and regional championships, advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament, and broke the school record for wins in a season. During his three years with the Red Devils, Med experienced the highs and lows that shaped him as both a player and a person.
Allen also became the place where Med met his future wife, Melody Wilfong, during their freshman year. The two began dating during their sophomore year and recently got married. Today, Melody Mahgoub serves as the art teacher at Kingfisher High School and Junior High while also helping as a secretary at the high school. Joining Kingfisher Public Schools gave Med the opportunity to begin his career alongside his wife in the district she has proudly served for the past several years.
After earning his associate degree from Allen, Med transferred to Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, where he accepted an offer to continue his education and basketball career. Baker continued its success, finishing second in the conference before Med’s final season, when the Wildcats swept the regular season and conference tournament championships for the first time in program history, advanced to the NAIA Sweet 16, and again broke the school record for wins. Med was also named First Team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team. While those accomplishments were rewarding, the relationships he built with teammates remain his favorite memories.
Originally planning to pursue nursing, Med eventually discovered his passion for education. After changing his major to exercise science, he found his calling in physical education through classroom observations and student teaching, where he realized he enjoyed working with younger students while continuing to pursue coaching.
The coaches who invested in Med throughout his playing career helped shape the educator he is today. Allen head coach Andy Shaw and Baker head coach Sean Dooley taught him the value of consistency, hard work, and leading with character, lessons he now hopes to pass along to his own students and athletes.
For Med, coaching is about much more than wins and losses. He believes sports are an opportunity to teach life lessons that extend far beyond the basketball court, helping young people build character, communicate well, and compete with excellence in everything they do.
One lesson from his playing days continues to guide him today: “There’s always a next play.” Whether on the basketball court or in everyday life, he believes mistakes are opportunities to learn, grow, and move forward.
Kingfisher became the next chapter for Med and Melody after praying about where they felt called to continue and begin their careers. While Melody was already an established member of Kingfisher Public Schools, Med was preparing to begin his first year as an educator after graduating from Baker. When the opportunity opened for him to teach physical education and coach basketball, they felt God had made it clear Kingfisher was where they were meant to be. Since arriving, Med has been grateful for the warm welcome from the community and is excited to begin building relationships with students and families.
As he prepares for his first school year, Med hopes to build a strong foundation for the junior high basketball program while helping students grow not only as athletes, but as people. Away from school, he enjoys watching movies with Melody, especially The Office, reading his Bible and learning more about its history, and playing the guitar.
As he begins this new chapter, Med feels blessed to be part of Kingfisher Public Schools and looks forward to making a positive impact on students both in the classroom and on the basketball court.
Photos provided.
