Elmhurst University Athletics

Jeff McDonald is entering his fourth season as the head coach of the Elmhurst football team. McDonald became the 20th head coach in Elmhurst history prior to the 2019 season.

In his first season as the Bluejays' head coach, McDonald led the Bluejays to their first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) victory in nearly two years with the squad's win over Carroll on September 28, 2019. Freshman linebacker Bryce Gable was named to the second-team all-conference squad and became just the eighth freshman in Elmhurst history to earn all-conference accolades. He became the first defensive player to earn all-conference honors as a freshman since Jon Janus earned second team honors in 2008. McDonald's second season of 2020 was wiped out due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In 2021, Gable continued to shine under McDonald's direction, earning firs-team all-conference and second-team all-region accolades from D3football.com. 

The Bluejays also improved in the classroom under McDonald's watch. The team raised its GPA from a 2.70 to a 3.10 following the 2019-20 season under McDonald's leadership.  

McDonald spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Illinois Wesleyan University prior to arriving at Elmhurst. McDonald helped guide Illinois Wesleyan to back-to-back CCIW Championships, the Titans’ first consecutive titles in 17 years. The Titans’ 2018 squad posted an 8-2 overall record and tied for the CCIW championship with an 8-1 league mark. Illinois Wesleyan’s defense led the league in total takeaways (23) and interceptions (17).

The 2017 Titan squad finished as the CCIW’s co-champions and earned a bid to the NCAA playoffs. McDonald’s defense led the CCIW in scoring defense and rushing defense, allowing just one rushing touchdown in the regular season. Nationally, the Titans ranked fourth in rushing defense, 11th in scoring defense and 23rd in total defense. McDonald coached two All-Americans and 10 all-conference performers from 2017-18.

Prior to joining Illinois Wesleyan, McDonald spent eight seasons at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. While at Wesleyan, McDonald served as the team’s defensive coordinator, linebackers coach, recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator. He helped Wesleyan win its first-ever NESCAC Championship in 2013 after the team posted its first winning record in over a decade in 2012.

In 2014, under McDonald’s direction, the Cardinals’ defense ranked first in NCAA Division III in total defense. The 2016 squad finished fifth in the nation in total defense, fourth in red zone defense and third in third down defense. McDonald also held administrative duties as the liaison to the Middletown community and as the advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Before arriving at Wesleyan, McDonald spent several years coaching at the Division I level. He served as the defensive coordinator for Towson University in 2008 and as the linebackers coach at the University of New Hampshire in 2001. McDonald spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Yale University from 2002-07. He helped the Bulldogs capture an Ivy League Championship in 2006 while coaching the team’s outside linebackers and defensive ends. Yale’s defense finished the 2007 season ranked first in scoring defense in the FCS.

McDonald began his collegiate coaching career at the Quincy University, serving as the team’s linebackers coach, defensive line coach and defensive coordinator from 1998-2001.

McDonald earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida in 1995 and he received a master’s degree from Quincy University in 2004. He and his wife, Rebecca, have a daughter, Olivia.