The University of Mississippi Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers
- Year at Ole Miss:
- Second
- E-mail:
- rebelfootball@olemiss.edu
- Phone:
- 662-915-7890
- Alma Mater:
- Illinois (1999)
McDonald, a 24-year coaching veteran, joined the Rebel program in 2024 as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach after spending three seasons at his alma mater, Illinois, where he served as assistant head coach and coached wide receivers.
McDonald helped orchestrate a historic offensive attack for the Rebels in 2024, which ended with program records in total offense (6,845), yards per play (7.3), passing yards (4,561) and passing yards per game (350.8). Ole Miss' passing offense was among the best in the nation, leading the FBS in passing efficiency (176.6) while also leading the SEC in total offense (526.5 ypg, FBS No. 2), passing offense (350.8 ypg, FBS No. 2), scoring offense (38.6 ppg, FBS No. 3), yards per completion (15.5, FBS No. 4) and completion percentage (68.0, FBS No. 8).
Specifically, McDonald's wide receivers were instrumental targets of star quarterback and eventual first round NFL Draft selection Jaxson Dart. Tre Harris was off to a historic start to 2024 before injuries sidelined him, ending the season with 1,030 yards and seven touchdowns on 60 receptions in just eight games played. Harris, an All-American and Biletnikoff semifinalist who went on to be a second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, had 804 yards through five games -- the most of the CFP era in that span.
McDonald also mentored fellow NFL Draft selection Jordan Watkins, whose 2024 highlight was a record-breaking performance at Arkansas where he set the Ole Miss single-game records in receiving yards (254) and receiving touchdowns (5) -- one of two 250-yard, five-touchdown performances in SEC history alongside Alabama Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith. McDonald also oversaw the continued development of underclassman star Cayden Lee, who was second on the team behind Harris with 57 receptions for 874 yards and two scores.
McDonald helped lead a resurgence for the wide receiver position at Illinois, where he played the position for the Fighting Illini from 1995-98. He helped Illinois' offense rank as one of the best in the Big Ten in 2023, as the Illini finished in the top five in the conference in passing (3rd), total yards (t-4th), and scoring (5th) and led the Big Ten West in all three categories.
Isaiah Williams, one of the top receivers in the nation, was named All-Big Ten first team after leading the Big Ten and ranking 13th in the nation in receptions (82) and ranking second in the Big Ten and 15th in the nation in receiving yards (1,055) during the regular season.
All three wide receiver starters for McDonald had over 500 receiving yards, as Casey Washington totaled 670 yards and three touchdowns and Pat Bryant added 560 receiving yards and a team-best seven touchdowns on the season. Illinois was the only Power-5 program with a 1,000-yard receiver and two other receivers over 500 yards in 2023.
McDonald helped Illinois to one of its best seasons in over a decade in 2022, as the Illini finished the regular season 8-4 and earned a trip to the ReliaQuest Bowl, Illinois' first January bowl game in 15 years. The Illini were ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks and Illinois was ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history.
McDonald's group was led by All-Big Ten wide receiver Williams, who ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in receptions per game (2nd, 6.3), receiving yards (7th, 715), receiving touchdowns (10th, 5), and receiving yards per game (10th, 55). Illinois was the only team in the Big Ten that featured four wide receivers with 30+ receptions.
McDonald helped Illinois to a pair of road ranked wins in his first season back in Champaign in 2021, first a nine OT thriller at No. 7 Penn State in the longest game in college football history, then a win at No. 20 Minnesota. During Illinois' game at No. 18 Iowa, McDonald served as head coach while Bret Bielema was out due to COVID-19 protocols.
Prior to Illinois, McDonald served in a variety of roles at North Carolina State. His six-year stint at NC State began in 2015 as wide receivers coach (2015-20) and watched his role grow to passing game coordinator (2017-18, 2020), recruiting coordinator (2019-20), co-offensive coordinator (2019) and assistant head coach (2020) of the Wolfpack. Under McDonald's tutelage, for the first time in ACC history, NC State had a pair of wide receivers named to the All-ACC first team in 2018 when Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers both topped 1,000 receiving yards.
McDonald’s first role as primary play-caller at the Power-5 level came as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Syracuse during the 2013-14 seasons.
Before Syracuse, McDonald served as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Miami from 2011-12. Under McDonald’s tutelage, wideout Phillip Dorsett posted the ninth-most single season receiving yards in school history in 2012. He also coached future NFL players Tommy Streeter, LaRon Byrd, Allen Hurns and Travis Benjamin with the Canes.
McDonald made the jump to the NFL's Cleveland Browns from 2009-10 as wide receivers coach under Eric Mangini. McDonald spent two seasons, 2007-08, at the University of Minnesota coaching wide receivers, where he helped mentor first-team All-Big Ten performer Eric Decker.
Before Minnesota, McDonald was offensive coordinator and coached wideouts at Western Michigan in 2005 and 2006. One of his players at WMU was 2005 MAC Player of the Year, Biletnikoff Award semifinalist and All-American, Greg Jennings. Jennings hauled in 74 receptions for 1,092 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Broncos.
In 2004, McDonald spent a season at Stanford as tight ends coach where he coached Mackey Award finalist Alex Smith.
McDonald earned his first full-time position at Northern Illinois from 2001-03. While in DeKalb, he coached First-Team All-MAC receiver, and current Minnesota head coach, P.J. Fleck, second-team All-American Dan Sheldon, and All-American Darrell "The Thrill" Hill.
The Ft. Wayne, Indiana, native began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ball State in 2000.
McDonald was a four-year letterwinner at receiver for the Fighting Illini and completed his Illinois football career with 57 receptions for 589 yards and four touchdowns. He led the Big Ten in kickoff return yardage in 1996 (736) while returning 57 kickoffs for 1,276 yards (22.4 avg.) during his career. McDonald also ran track his freshman and senior years, earning All-Big Ten honors his senior year when he set an Illinois record with a time of 6.74 in the 60 meters, a mark that still ranks seventh on the Illini top times list, to win the 1999 Big Ten Indoor Championships 60m title.
McDonald graduated from Buena Park High School in California before his collegiate career at Illinois. He earned his bachelor's degree in health planning and administration from Illinois in 1999. McDonald and his wife, Heather, have two sons, Roman and Maverick.
