Since retirement McGahan has worked as a rugby league newspaper columnist and a football manager.
The following year McGahan was co-recipient of the Adidas Golden Boot Award with Peter Sterling.
[6] In 1987, McGahan jointly won the prestigious Golden Boot award along with Parramatta Eels and Australian Halfback Peter Sterling.
In the 1991 New Year Honours, McGahan was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to rugby league.
[10] On 5 November 2007, McGahan and former All Black Doug Rollerson, appeared in the Auckland District Court on charges of alleged fraud.
A small group used an elaborate scheme of invoices and accounts to defraud sports organisations out of charity money.