Now entering his 15th year as director of athletics and recreation, Jack McDonald has guided Quinnipiac University into a broad-based Division I athletics program that consists of 19 varsity sports (7 for men, 12 for women).
McDonald has been one of the driving forces during 10 successful campaigns as a Division I member. 22 teams have won conference championships, with 12 qualifying for the NCAA tournament during that time. Along with its full membership in the Northeast Conference, Quinnipiac also competes as a member of ECAC Hockey for men’s and women’s ice hockey, and as a member of the ECAC for men’s lacrosse.
The 2008-2009 academic year was another successful one for the Bobcats under McDonald guidance. The Bobcats saw unmatched success as they posted their highest department-wide grade-point average as well as the largest number of student-athletes with a GPA of 3.1 or higher.
He also helped to secure NCAA Certification for Quinnipiac, its first since moving to Division I, and assisted in the successful men’s basketball coaching search that culminated with the hiring of former University of Connecticut associate head coach Tom Moore. In addition, nearly 140 student-athletes and five teams were honored by their respective leagues and organizations for academic excellence.
McDonald also was an intergral part of Quinnipiac’s program, design, construction and dedication of the TD Bank Sports Center, a 160,000 square foot facility that features separate state of the art venues for men’s and women’s basketball and ice hockey. The TD Bank Sports Center has received significant national recognition for its equity for men and women, as well as for basketball and ice hockey.
An active member of National Governance, McDonald was the President of NACDA’s IAAA Association from 2008-2009. McDonald was also on the NCAA Championships and Competition Cabinet (1998-2002) and chair of the NCAA Ice Hockey Committee, where he championed bracket expansion from 12 to 16 teams. He also has been a member of the NACDA’s I-AAA Executive Committee since 2002.
During the course of the 2007-2008 academic year, McDonald was also named president of Great Western Lacrosse. He has also been the president of the New England ICAAA, the regional governing body of men’s track and field.
Over the past few years, McDonald assisted in the development of a successful television, radio and Internet broadcasting package for Quinnipiac athletics. In 2008-09, Quinnipiac televised 15 games on local and regional outlets and broadcast nearly 200 additional games and events in all sports via live radio, audio streaming, video streaming and iTunes Podcasts.
McDonald and his staff oversaw the expansion and renovation of the Athletics & Recreation Center in Fall 2002, which included an indoor fieldhouse, a suspended banked track, a state-of-the-art athletic training facility and offices for coaches and staff.
He founded the Quinnipiac governing board of faculty and staff, the Athletics Council and instituted “Positive Play” programs with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Before Quinnipiac, McDonald served as director of athletics at the University of Denver (1990-95) and assistant athletic director for marketing at Boston College (1987-90).
McDonald is a 1973 graduate of Boston College. He earned a master’s degree from Springfield College in 1984.
During his college career, McDonald ran and coached track. He set the New England indoor mile record (4:00.9) and, as Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Cross Country Coach at Boston College, was selected Big East, New England and NCAA District I Coach of the Year in both 1984 and 1987.
McDonald was also inducted to the Boston College (1982) and the Archbishop Williams High School (1997) Hall of Fames.
A native of Braintree, Mass., McDonald is the oldest of 11 children. He and his wife, Linda, live in Cheshire, Conn., with their four sons: Brian, Jim, Jack, and David.