Sean McDonnell
{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1956)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Sean McDonnell
| image = Sean McDonnell in 2015.JPG
| alt =
| caption = McDonnell in 2015 at Spartan Stadium before a game against San Jose State
| contract =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|10|15}}
| birth_place = Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1975–1978
| player_team1 = New Hampshire
| player_positions = Defensive back
| coach_years1 = 1983–1984
| coach_years2 = 1985–1987
| coach_team2 = Boston University (WR/TE)
| coach_years3 = 1988
| coach_team3 = Boston College (GA)
| coach_years4 = 1989–1990
| coach_team4 = Columbia (OLB)
| coach_years5 = 1991–1993
| coach_team5 = New Hampshire (WR/QB)
| coach_years6 = 1994–1998
| coach_team6 = New Hampshire (OC)
| coach_years7 = 1999–2018
| coach_team7 = New Hampshire
| coach_years8 = 2020–2021
| coach_team8 = New Hampshire
| overall_record = 157–104
| tournament_record = 14–14 (NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs)
| championships = 1 A-10 (2005)
1 CAA (2014)
2 A-10 North Division (2004–2005)
2 CAA North Division (2008–2009)
| awards = 2× Eddie Robinson Award (2005, 2014)
| coaching_records =
}}
Sean Patrick McDonnell (born October 15, 1956) is a retired college football coach and former player, best known for his tenure as head football coach at the University of New Hampshire.
Biography
{{BLP sources section|date=December 2021}}
McDonnell, nicknamed "Coach Mac", served as the head football coach of the New Hampshire Wildcats football program from 1999 to 2021.{{cite news|url=http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/sportslocalsports/919430-222/changes-put-unh-sports-in-tough-spot.html|title=Changes put UNH sports in tough spot |last=Fitz|first=Gary|date=May 15, 2011|publisher=The Telegraph (Nashua)|accessdate=December 24, 2011}} From August 2019 to March 2020, took a leave of absence for medical reasons, with associate head coach Ricky Santos acting as interim head coach for the 2019 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/08/27/new-hampshire-football-coach-sean-mcdonnell-on-leave-for-health-reasons/ |title=New Hampshire football coach Sean McDonnell on leave for health reasons |first=John |last=Connolly |website=Boston Herald |url-access=limited |date=August 27, 2019 |accessdate=February 17, 2020}} McDonnell returned to coaching in March 2020.{{cite news |url=https://www.fosters.com/sports/20200416/macs-back-after-losing-season-to-bladder-cancer-unh-football-coach-sean-mcdonnell-medically-cleared |title=MAC'S BACK: After losing a season to bladder cancer, UNH football coach Sean McDonnell medically cleared |first=Allen |last=Lessels |website=Foster's Daily Democrat |location=Dover, New Hampshire |date=April 16, 2020 |accessdate=April 17, 2020}} McDonnell announced his retirement on December 1, 2021, at the conclusion of his 30th year as a coach for New Hampshire and 23rd year as head coach of the program.{{cite news |url=https://unhwildcats.com/news/2021/12/1/CoachMacRetires.aspx |title=Coach Mac Retires |website=unhwildcats.com |date=December 1, 2021 |accessdate=December 1, 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://www.fosters.com/story/sports/college/2021/12/01/unh-head-football-coach-sean-mcdonnell-retires/8821214002/ |title=Sean McDonnell spent 23 years as head coach and three decades coaching Wildcats |website=Foster's Daily Democrat |location=Dover, New Hampshire |url-access=limited |date=December 1, 2021 |accessdate=December 1, 2021}}
McDonnell won the Eddie Robinson Award in 2005 and 2014, which is given annually to the top head coach in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/misc/robinson.htm|title=Eddie Robinson Award|publisher=The Sports Network|accessdate=December 23, 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110404060151/http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2%2Fmisc%2Frobinson.htm|archivedate=April 4, 2011}} McDonnell ranks third all-time in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) victories. He ranks second all-time in wins at New Hampshire, only behind the College Football Hall of Fame inductee he once coached under, Bill Bowes. McDonnell is one of 13 FCS coaches with over 150 wins all-time as a head coach, and also had six wins versus Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents. McDonnell coached as players or had as assistants multiple people who went on to become college football head coaches, including: Ryan Day (Ohio State), Chip Kelly (UCLA), Joe Conlin (Fordham), Tony Trisciani (Elon), Dan Curran (Merrimack), Mike Lichten (University of New England), Ryan Carty (University of Delaware) and his successor at New Hampshire, Ricky Santos. McDonnell has two sons. He lives with his wife in Durham, New Hampshire.
Head coaching record
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = TSN/STATS }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = New Hampshire Wildcats
| conf = Atlantic 10 Conference
| startyear = 1999
| endyear = 2006
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1999
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 5–6
| conference = 3–5
| confstanding = T–6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2000
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 6–5
| conference = 4–4
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2001
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 4–7
| conference = 2–7
| confstanding = 10th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2002
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 3–8
| conference = 2–7
| confstanding = 10th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2003
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 5–7
| conference = 3–6
| confstanding = T–8th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 2004
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 10–3
| conference = 6–2
| confstanding = 1st (North)
| bowlname = NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 6
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2005
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 11–2
| conference = 7–1
| confstanding = T–1st (North)
| bowlname = NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 5
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2006
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 9–4
| conference = 5–3
| confstanding = T–2nd (North)
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 6
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 53–42
| confrecord = 32–35
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = New Hampshire Wildcats
| conf = Colonial Athletic Association
| startyear = 2007
| endyear = 2018
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2007
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 7–5
| conference = 4–4
| confstanding = T–2nd (North)
| bowlname = NCAA Division I First Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 14
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 2008
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 10–3
| conference = 6–2
| confstanding = 1st (North)
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 8
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 2009
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 10–3
| conference = 6–2
| confstanding = 1st (North)
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 10
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2010
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 8–5
| conference = 5–3
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 7
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2011
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 8–4
| conference = 6–2
| confstanding = T–2nd
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Second Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 11
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2012
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 8–4
| conference = 6–2
| confstanding = T–2nd
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Second Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 13
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2013
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 10–5
| conference = 6–2
| confstanding = T–2nd
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Semifinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 5
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 2014
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 12–2
| conference = 8–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Semifinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 3
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2015
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 7–5
| conference = 5–3
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname = NCAA Division I First Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2016
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 8–5
| conference = 6–2
| confstanding = T–2nd
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Second Round
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = 17
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2017
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 9–5
| conference = 5–3
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname = NCAA Division I Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2018
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 4–7
| conference = 3–5
| confstanding = 9th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = New Hampshire Wildcats
| conf = Colonial Athletic Association
| startyear = 2020
| endyear = 2021
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2020–21
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 0–1
| conference = 0–1
| confstanding = 7th (North){{efn|Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New Hampshire was limited to a single game during the 2020 football season, contested in the Spring of 2021.}}
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 2021
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 3–8
| conference = 2–6
| confstanding = 11th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = New Hampshire
| overall = 157–104
| confrecord = 100–72
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 157–104
| bowls = no
| poll =
| polltype = Rankings from final The Sports Network / STAT Poll
}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://unhwildcats.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/sean-mcdonnell/60 New Hampshire profile]
{{New Hampshire Wildcats football coach navbox}}
{{Eddie Robinson Award}}
{{AFCA Division I FCS Coach of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonnell, Sean}}
Category:American football defensive backs
Category:Boston University Terriers football coaches
Category:Boston College Eagles football coaches
Category:Columbia Lions football coaches
Category:Hamilton Continentals football coaches
Category:New Hampshire Wildcats football coaches
Category:New Hampshire Wildcats football players
Category:People from Durham, New Hampshire
Category:Sportspeople from Strafford County, New Hampshire
Category:Sportspeople from Saratoga Springs, New York