Ned McDonald

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1910–1977)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Ned McDonald

| image =

| alt =

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1910|1|2}}

| birth_place = Caldwell, Texas, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1977|2|8|1910|1|2}}

| death_place = Keene, Virginia, U.S.

| alma_mater = University of Texas{{cite book|title=Official Collegiate Football Record Book|author=National Collegiate Athletic Association|date=1954|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Bureau|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJNYAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=April 14, 2015}}

| player_years1 = 1937–1939

| player_team1 = Texas

| coach_years1 = 1946–1952

| coach_team1 = Virginia (line)

| coach_years2 = 1953–1955

| coach_team2 = Virginia

| coach_years3 = 1964–1973

| coach_team3 = Virginia (line)

| overall_record = 5–23

| bowl_record =

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| coaching_records =

}}

Ned L. McDonald (January 2, 1910 – February 8, 1977){{cite web|url=http://www.mocavo.com/Ned-Mcdonald-1910-1977-Social-Security-Death-Index/01878104606885458403 |title=NED MCDONALD (1910-1977) | Social Security Death Index | Death Records |publisher=mocavo.com|accessdate=April 14, 2015}} was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Virginia from 1953 to 1955.

McDonald played college football as a two-way end at the University of Texas from 1937 to 1939 under head coach Dana X. Bible, captaining in 1939 with Park Myers.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19530214&id=UvITAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Q4oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3657,4625355|title=The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search|publisher=news.google.com|accessdate=April 14, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=amYpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XsgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3548,4206312&dq=ned+mcdonald+texas+football&hl=en|title=Daytona Beach Morning Journal - Google News Archive Search|publisher=news.google.com|accessdate=April 14, 2015}}

After graduating from Texas in 1940, McDonald coached high school football in Orange, Texas and then served in the Pacific in the Navy during World War II.

In 1946 he went to Virginia to serve on the coaching staff of Art Guepe and became head coach in 1953 when Guepe took the head coaching job at Vanderbilt. He led the team for three years that overlapped the school's move to the ACC.

After failing to produce a winning season he was pressured to resign, which he did in late 1955 and he then went into private business in Charlottesville after the 1955 season. He continued coaching as a frequent head coach of high school all-star games, coaching the West squad four times in the "East-West" game and the North in 1959 and South in 1960 of the Shrine North-South game, and then as a part-time coach at Woodberry Forest School.{{cite news |title=North, South Coaches Like Their Backfields |work=Suffolk News-Herald |date=18 August 1960}} In 1964 he returned to UVA as the line coach and stayed, through three head coaches, until 1973.{{cite news |title=Virginia Fills 2 Vacancies on Grid Staff |work=Northern Virginia Sun |date=10 January 1964}}

He retired, but continued to serve as a part-time instructor in UVA's service physical education department.

McDonald died of a heart attack during a hunting trip in 1977.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=799LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LIsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6242,1064174&dq=ned+mcdonald+texas+football+died&hl=en|title=The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search|publisher=news.google.com|accessdate=April 14, 2015}}

UVA's award for the most outstanding defensive player is named in his honor.{{cite web |title=NFF Announces Storied 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class |url=https://footballfoundation.org/news/2020/3/11/nff-announces-storied-2020-college-football-hall-of-fame-class.aspx |access-date=29 January 2025}}