John McDonnell was born in Crossmolina, County Mayo, Ireland, on July 2, 1938. He moved to America in 1963.
McDonnell received a B.A. from Southwestern Louisiana University in 1969 where he was an All-American athlete in track and field before going on to coach high school track.
In 1972, the University of Arkansas hired McDonnell to coach the cross-country team. He went on to head the men’s track and field program, where he led the Razorbacks to a record-setting forty NCAA championships and five NCAA Triple Crowns. McDonnell was inducted into the United States Track Coaches Hall of Fame and named National Coach of the Year thirty times, among many other accolades. The Razorbacks’ outdoor track facility is named John McDonnell Field in his honor.
McDonnell passed away on June 7, 2021.
#1: Composite image of early photo of John McDonnell and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: John McDonnell's parents, Michael and Bridget (Hopkins) McDonnell, on their wedding day
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: John McDonnell's mother- and father-in-law, Mary and Joseph Elias, on their wedding day; December 31, 1931
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: John McDonnell, Ireland
© Public Domain
#5: John McDonnell, 1958
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: John McDonnell's parents, Michael (left) and Bridget McDonnell (center), 1966
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: John McDonnell's parents, Michael and Bridget (center), at their home in Woodville, Crossmolina, County Mayo, Ireland, 1966
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: John McDonnell and Ellen Elias (McDonnell), New Jersey, 1966
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: John McDonnell running track for the University of Southwestern Louisiana; April 1967
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: John McDonnell, University of Southwestern Louisiana
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: John McDonnell, University of Southwestern Louisiana
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: John and Ellen McDonnell on their wedding day; June 17, 1967
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: John McDonnell in Ireland, 1967
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: John McDonnell (kneeling) with his brother, Patrick, in Ireland, August 1967
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: John McDonnell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: John McDonnell
© Public Domain
#17: John McDonnell's mother, Bridget McDonnell (center), at John's childhood home; 1969
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: John McDonnell with his sheep
© Public Domain
#19: John McDonnell homestead in Woodville, Crossmolina, County Mayo, Ireland
© Public Domain
#20: John McDonnell with his mother, Bridget Hopkins McDonnell, 1982
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: John McDonnell with his wolfhound
© Public Domain
#22: John McDonnell with his daughter, Heather, Ireland, 1983
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: John McDonnell (back row, far right) with his siblings: (front row) Mary, Philomena, Carmel, Anne, and Margaret; (back row) Michael, Patrick, and John, 1986
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: John McDonnell, 1990
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: John McDonnell with his wife, Ellen, and their children, Sean and Heather
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#26: John McDonnell with his family; (l-r), Sean, Ellen, John, and Heather
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: John McDonnell celebrating the 1993 NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship with the University of Arkansas track team, Frank Broyles (front row, 4th from right), and others
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: John McDonnell (at podium) with President Bill Clinton and members of the University of Arkansas track team
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: John McDonnell (center, left) with Bill and Hillary Clinton and members of the University of Arkansas track team; White House, Washinton, DC, 1993
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: John McDonnell with his family and Hillary Clinton: (l-r), Heather, Sean, Clinton, John, and Ellen; White House, Washington, DC, 1993
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: Poster commemorating John McDonnell's career, 1994
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: John McDonnell with his family, 1994
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: John McDonnell (center) being presented with a check from Don Tyson for $3 million that led to the construction of the Randal Tyson Track Center, 1998
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: John McDonnell on the cover of a publication by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette; August 1998
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: John McDonnell with his daughter, Heather, and wife, Ellen
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: John McDonnell with his family: (l-r) Sean, Ellen, and Heather
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: John McDonnell with daughter, Heather, and wife, Ellen, 2006
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#38: Caricature of John McDonnell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#39: Welcome Home sign at John McDonnell's house
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#40: John McDonnell on the cover of Hawgs Illustrated, July 2008
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#41: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with John McDonnell; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#42: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with John McDonnell; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#43: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with John McDonnell; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#44: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with John McDonnell; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#45: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with John McDonnell; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#46: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with John McDonnell; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
