'A great coach, mentor and man': Legendary Irish athletics coach John McDonnell dies

John McDonnell received National Coach of the Year honours 30 times in his career as well as 49 conference coaching honours.

John McDonnell received National Coach of the Year honours 30 times in his career as well as 49 conference coaching honours.

John McDonnell, the Irishman who became the most successful coach in US collegiate history, has died at the age of 82. The Mayo native – who steered the University of Arkansas to an astonishing 40 NCAA team championships – passed away peacefully on Monday in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

In his 36-year coaching career in the NCAA, McDonnell established a legacy of success unrivalled across the sporting spectrum. He received National Coach of the Year honours 30 times in his career as well as 49 conference coaching honours.

As a coach, he steered the careers of many Irish greats, with Frank O’Mara, Niall O’Shaughnessy, Niall Bruton, Alistair Cragg and many, many more all learning their trade under his guidance.

“A great coach, mentor and man,” Bruton wrote on Twitter this evening.

O’Mara was McDonnell’s first individual NCAA champion and the Limerick athlete later went on to win two world indoor titles with McDonnell as his coach.

“It’s the most amazing unknown Irish sporting achievement ever,” O’Mara said last year of McDonnell’s NCAA coaching record. “He had an uncanny ability to connect with people. He was a great man manager and he knew how to set expectations. People just loved him, they’d die for him and that’s what made it special.”

John McDonnell, coach at the Univerity of Arkansas, pictured at the 2003 Woodie's DIY National Senior Track and Field Championships, Morton Stadium, Santry, Dublin. Picture: Brendan Moran

McDonnell had once paved the same path as his athletes many years before, setting off from Ireland to the US on a running scholarship. As an athlete he became a six-time All-American in cross country and track and field at Southwestern Louisiana, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1969. In 1972, he became head cross country coach at Arkansas, and then head track and field coach in 1977-78.

A statement from the McDonnell family said: “He passed away so peacefully, enveloped in the love of his family and friends. He could have settled anywhere in America after emigrating from Ireland, but chose to call northwest Arkansas home because as he often stated, this was ‘God’s Country’.

“His career speaks for itself, but what truly spoke was his love for God, serving others, and his limitless generosity. We want everyone to know how thankful he was for the support, love, friendship, and depth of opportunities he received throughout the years.

“While the world has lost an extraordinary man, we not only mourn his loss, but wholeheartedly celebrate that God allowed people around the world to be touched and impacted by his gifts of faith, love, and inspiration. His legacy and spirit will forever live on through his family, friends, colleagues, and athletes.”