DURHAM, N.C. – USA Baseball named Louisville’s Dan McDonnell the manager of the 2019 Collegiate National Team on Friday. McDonnell just finished his 12th season with the Cardinals, amassing a 554-222 overall record during that time and earning National Coach of the Year award honors in 2007 and 2017.
The 2019 summer will be McDonnell’s second coaching tour for Team USA after he served as an assistant coach with the Collegiate National Team in 2009. Team USA finished with a 19-5 overall record that summer with series victories over Canada and Guatemala, and won a gold medal at the 2009 Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
“Dan McDonnell is an outstanding baseball coach and the tremendous success that he has had at the University of Louisville from the moment he stepped on campus has been truly remarkable,” said USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler. “USA Baseball is pleased to welcome him back to the Collegiate National Team coaching staff for the first time since 2009 as he takes the reins as manager for our 2019 squad. We look forward to having him lead a group of talented young men in an influential and positive way next summer.“
McDonnell will enter his 13th season at the helm of Louisville next year, where he has led the Cardinals to an 554-222 overall record during that time and currently ranks fourth nationally in overall winning percentage of active college coaches (.714). He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Coach of the Year in three consecutive years from 2015-2017 and has led the Cardinals to eight regular season conference championships (including six years in a row from 2012-2017), 11 NCAA Regional appearances, seven NCAA Super Regionals and to four College World Series. Rivals and Baseball America tabbed McDonnell as the National Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2017, respectively.
“Coaching college baseball for the past 26 years has been a blessing for me and a major highlight on that journey was serving on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team staff in 2009,” said McDonnell. “Having played and coached for 12 years at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, enhanced my appreciation for the freedom we have in the United States of America, the greatest country in the world. Assembling a collection of the nation’s most talented college baseball players and participating in America’s pastime, while representing this wonderful country is an honor. I hope we make all Americans, especially those who fight for our freedom, proud of the effort and performance next summer.”
As the head coach for the Cardinals, he has coached 37 All-Americans, 91 all-conference selections, 11 players who were earned conference freshman, pitcher or player of the year honors, and 2017 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award winner, Brendan McKay.
Sixty-four of his former players while at Louisville have signed professional contracts after being selected in the Major League Baseball Draft and seven players have participated on the Collegiate National Team: Zack Burdi (2015), Kyle Funkhouser (2014), Devin Hairston (2016), Brendan McKay (2015, 2016), Corey Ray (2015), Ryan Wright (2010) and Tony Zych (2009).
McDonnell will be recognized and will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to game four of the 42nd USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, July 7, at Riley Park in Charleston, South Carolina.
