John McDonnell

John McDonnell (July 2, 1938 – June 7, 2021) was a head coach for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks track team. He began as the cross country and track head coach for the university in 1972 and became head track coach in 1978. McDonnell retired after the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He is considered by many to be the single most successful head coach (any sport) in collegiate athletics history.

Legacy In 2005, Coach John McDonnell was inducted to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

On February 27, 2013, a published autobiography of the life and works of John McDonnell was officially declared a co-authorship between John McDonnell and Andrew Maloney. Titled, John McDonnell: The Most Successful Coach in NCAA History, the University of Arkansas Press publication chronicles the timeline of McDonnell's life, starting at the early beginnings of the famed sports figure's childhood growing up in his beloved native Ireland where he championed record-breaking success as a track star and gained a level of global attention that eventually sparked a life-changing call to move to the United States where he would successfully represent America on the track.

Early life McDonnell earned his bachelor's degree from Southwestern Louisiana University (now Louisiana-Lafayette) in 1969. While competing to become a six-time all-American in track and cross country at USL, he became the 1966–67 AAU 3,000-meter champion, and won the mile at the 1966 British Selection Games.

He coached at New Providence (N.J.) High School (1969–70) and Lafayette (La.) High School (1971) before coming to the University of Arkansas.

Coaching accomplishments at Arkansas McDonnell was hired as the cross country coach in 1972 and added the entire men's track and field program in 1978.

Coach McDonnell led the track team to their first national championship at the 1984 NCAA Indoor Championships while the school was a member of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. Since then, the University of Arkansas has won 40 NCAA championships, including 11 cross country, 19 indoor track and 10 outdoor track. Other schools have won only 24 combined NCAA titles in the three sports during the same period.

McDonnell's 40 national championships (which include 19 in indoor track, 10 in outdoor track and 11 in cross country) are more than any coach in any sport in the history of college athletics. The next highest is 31 by Pat Henry, former LSU and current track coach at Texas A&M University.

McDonnell also won five national triple crowns (in 1984-85, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95 and 1998–99). Texas-El Paso has won three national triple crowns. No other school has ever won one.

In addition, McDonnell's team and individual achievements include: 20 conference triple crowns since 1982, including eight straight between 1987 and 1995 25 consecutive conference titles in cross country with indoor track and outdoor track combined from 1987 to 1995 73 conference championships in the last 77 events Arkansas has entered since 1981-1982 84 conference championships overall since 1974 including 38 in the SWC and 46 in the SEC (out of a possible 50, or 90 percent) 12 consecutive NCAA indoor track championships (1984–1995) coached 185 track All-Americans, earning 652 separate All-America honors 34 consecutive league cross country championships, including 17 straight in the SEC (1974–2007)