http://www.unhwildcats.com/coaches.aspx?rc=242&path=footballStoried FCS program and head coach. This is 14th consecutive playoff appearance. Wildcats have had only two head coaches over past 46 years.
Sean McDonnell
Head Coach
Sean McDonnell ’78 in his 19th season as head coach of his alma mater in 2017. The native of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., has a career record of 141-83 (.629 winning percentage) that includes a 90-57 conference mark (.612). He has guided the Wildcats to 13 consecutive winning seasons – with six double-digit win totals – and the ‘Cats have advanced to the NCAA Division I FCS tournament each of those 13 years, which is the
longest active streak in the nation. McDonnell’s collegiate accolades include Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year (2005-14), AFCA National Coach of the Year (2014), AFCA District Coach of the Year (2004-05-12-14), CAA Coach of the Year (2004-14), New England Football Writers Coach of the Year (2005-08-10-12-14-16) and Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Head Coach of the Year (2000-04-09-12).
In 2016, the Wildcats reached the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs for the 13th straight season, the longest current streak in the nation. McDonnell was feted as the Jack Grinold D-I New England Coach of the Year for the sixth time by the New England Football Writers. UNH posted an 8-5 mark (6-2 CAA) and punctuated the season with a 64-21 defeat of No. 15 Lehigh in the opening round of the NCAAs. The ‘Cats also knocked off two other ranked foes (No. 19 William & Mary, No. 20 Stony Brook)
The inaugural season at Wildcat Stadium saw the program establish records for the highest single-game attendance (21,943; Oct. 1), highest opening-game attendance (13,242; Sept. 10), highest regular-season average attendance (11,108) and highest overall average attendance (9,630). All-American DB Casey DeAndrade earned the CAA Chuck Boone Leadership Award.
The 2015 Wildcats rallied to win their final four games to extend their playoff streak to 12 years. The winning streak included an upset of No. 5 Richmond (30-25) and a convincing 22-6 defeat of rival Maine in the final regular-season home game in the 79-year history of Cowell Stadium. The ‘Cats recorded victories in their final 15 regular season games in Cowell Stadium, which gave way to Wildcat Stadium in 2016.
UNH put together a staggering streak of 162 straight weeks ranked in the STATS FCS Top 25, a streak that began Sept. 6, 2004, and lasted until Oct. 12, 2015.
On Dec. 15, 2014, McDonnell became the third two-time recipient of the Eddie Robinson Award. It marked the fourth Coach of the Year accolade in ‘14 for McDonnell, who was also honored as AFCA Region Coach of the Year, New England Coach of the Year and CAA Coach of the Year.
Coach Mac guided the 2014 Wildcats to their second consecutive national semifinal appearance with a 12-2 record that included school records for most wins in a season and consecutive wins (12), as well as five wins against nationally-ranked teams, including four in the Top 10. The Wildcats posted a perfect 8-0 record in the CAA to claim their third league championship under McDonnell (2005-12-14) and first outright title since 1994.
In 2013, McDonnell was honored by the Joe Yukica-New Hampshire Chapter of the National Football Foundation with the Andy Mooradian Award for his contributions to amateur football. That season UNH won multiple playoff games (three) in a single season for the first time in program history en route to the Wildcats’ first appearance in the FCS semifinals. The ‘Cats recorded five wins against nationally-ranked foes, including three vs. the Top 10, to finish with a 10-5 overall record as well as a 6-2 CAA mark for the third consecutive year. New Hampshire recorded a six-game win streak for the second consecutive season and went a perfect 6-0 at home.
After a 1-3 start, the 2013 season turned when Coach Mac’s Wildcats went for – and converted – a 2-point PAT with 14 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to defeat 12th-ranked Villanova, 29-28. UNH closed the regular season with a 24-3 win at Cowell Stadium against fourth-ranked Maine to retain the Brice-Cowell Musket before recording playoff wins against Lafayette (45-7 at home), eighth-ranked Maine (41-27) and seventh-ranked Southeastern Louisiana (20-17).
The 2012 Wildcats earned a share of the CAA championship – the second in Coach Mac’s career (2005) – with a 6-2 league mark. The ‘Cats compiled an 8-4 overall record that included an NCAA second-round game at Wofford. McDonnell reached coaching milestone victory No. 100 with a 44-21 win against Georgia State at the Georgia Dome on Oct. 6, 2012. Senior linebacker Matt Evans became the school’s all-time tackle leader (460) when he surpassed Steve Doig on Nov. 3, 2012, in Coach Mac’s first career victory against William & Mary (28-25). Evans had his No. 52 retired at the team awards banquet in March 2013, and fellow senior Chris Zarkoskie (OL) was the recipient of the CAA’s inaugural Chuck Boone Leadership Award.
The 2011 Wildcats matched a school record for the second straight year by knocking off five ranked opponents en route to an 8-4 mark, including 6-2 in the CAA. The ‘Cats put a bow on their rivalry with Massachusetts by knocking off the Minutemen, 27-21, in the second Colonial Clash at Gillette Stadium, which was also the 74th and final scheduled meeting between the longtime rivals. UNH reclaimed the Brice-Cowell Musket with a 30-27 defeat of Maine in the regular-season finale and came within a blocked PAT of forcing overtime in a playoff loss at Montana State. Junior linebacker Matt Evans became the first Wildcat to ever be named the nation’s top defensive player when he won the Buck Buchanan Award, and senior quarterback Kevin Decker was crowned the CAA Offensive Player of the Year.
In 2010, McDonnell’s Wildcats collected victories against five ranked opponents, a University record, en route to an 8-5 campaign. UNH advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA postseason for the sixth time in seven years after dispatching Bethune-Cookman, 45-20, in a second-round encounter before suffering a 16-3 quarterfinal loss at eventual national championship game participant Delaware. McDonnell was feted as the 2010 Division I FCS Coach of the Year by the New England Football Writers, his third such honor (2005, ’08). During the course of the ’10 campaign, the ‘Cats earned their 12th straight home victory –a school record- by shutting out No. 11 Richmond, 17-0, on Homecoming. Two weeks later, UNH made history by topping No. 12 UMass, 39-13, in the inaugural Colonial Clash at Gillette Stadium. The game was witnessed by 32,848 fans, the largest football crowd in CAA history.
UNH finished 10-3 in 2009 and won its second straight CAA North Division championship. The Wildcats continued to be giant killers by knocking off an FBS opponent for the fifth straight time, securing a hard-fought 23-16 triumph at Ball State. Previous FBS opponents to feel the wrath of the Wildcats during the amazing upset run were Army (2008), Marshall (’07), Northwestern (’06) and Rutgers (’04). UNH was the only team to defeat eventual FCS national champion Villanova (28-24) on Homecoming. The Wildcats also posted an impressive win on the road at McNeese State, defeating the Cowboys, 49-13, in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.
New Hampshire notched a 10-3 record in 2008, including a defeat of Southern Illinois in the first round of the NCAAs before a quarterfinal-round setback at Northern Iowa. UNH finished the season ranked No. 7 in most national polls, and McDonnell was honored as the New England FCS Coach of the Year for the second time.
In 2007, the Wildcats were 7-5 overall and just narrowly missed upsetting No. 1 Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAAs, losing on a last-minute TD, 38-35, at the UNI Dome. The Wildcat offense, ranked 16th in the nation, averaged over 400 yards per contest.
The Wildcats were ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation in 2006 and finished the season ranked sixth after defeating Hampton in the first round (41-38) of the NCAAs. Among the regular-season highlights was senior All-America wide receiver David Ball making history by surpassing legendary Jerry Rice with 58 career TD receptions and junior quarterback Ricky Santos claiming the Walter Payton Award as the FCS football national player of the year.
In 2005, McDonnell was honored as the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year by The Sports Network after leading his Wildcats to a record-breaking 11-2 season, an Atlantic 10 Championship, a second straight NCAA appearance in the I-AA quarterfinals and the country’s No. 1 ranking at the end of the regular season. The Wildcats played host to two nationally-televised NCAA postseason games on ESPN at Cowell Stadium, beating Colgate in the first round before succumbing to Northern Iowa in the NCAA quarterfinals.
McDonnell’s hard work rebuilding the program paid off in 2004 with a 10-3 overall record and a 6-2 mark in the Atlantic 10, which earned the team the Northern Division championship and a bid to the NCAA I-AA Championships for the first time since 1994. The ‘Cats advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in the history of the program by winning its first-ever NCAA contest under McDonnell, a 27-23 upset at Georgia Southern. McDonnell was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year and was selected District Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
In 2003, UNH began turning the corner by winning three of its last four contests, including an upset victory over nationally-ranked Maine. The team’s 5-7 record could have easily been above .500, as the ‘Cats narrowly lost to No. 1 Delaware on a missed field goal in the closing seconds, and UNH was driving for a potential game-winning TD late at Division I-A Central Michigan before running out of time.
In 2002, McDonnell’s offense was one of the most prolific in I-AA football and averaged 449.2 yards per contest and 36.7 ppg. In victories over the likes of Hampton, James Madison, Dartmouth and Massachusetts the ‘Cats scored 37 points/game and scored over 40 points in two of the victories. UNH finished with a 4-7 overall record in 2001.
In 2000, the Wildcats were ranked as high as 23rd in the nation and knocked off three top-25 opponents, including Hampton (31-17), Massachusetts (24-16) and No. 2 Delaware on Nov. 4 (45-44 OT). Injuries squashed UNH’s chances for a playoff berth down the stretch, but UNH opened the campaign with a 4-0 record, its best start since 1977 when the Wildcats won seven straight games. UNH finished the season with a 6-5 record and finished tied for fourth in the Atlantic 10. McDonnell was named the Gridiron Club Of Greater Boston College Head Coach Of The Year.
In his rookie season, McDonnell led the Wildcats to a 5-6 overall record and oversaw a wide-open offensive attack that led the Atlantic 10 with an average of 457.3 yards per game.
McDonnell was named the 19th head coach of the UNH football program April 22, 1999. McDonnell replaced legendary head coach Bill Bowes, who retired after 27 years as the mentor of the Wildcats. McDonnell served eight seasons as a Wildcat assistant and completed his fifth year as the team’s offensive coordinator in 1998. McDonnell rejoined the Wildcats as an assistant coach before the 1991 spring camp and worked with the quarterbacks and receivers for his first three seasons. In 1997, McDonnell was named the recipient of “The College Assistant Coach Award” by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston in recognition of his quality of performance, loyalty and longevity.
McDonnell was a standout defensive back for UNH. He started for the 1975 and 1976 Yankee Conference championship teams and came back to start for the 1978 squad.
After his graduation from UNH, he spent one year as an assistant coach at Manchester (N.H.) Memorial High School and followed that up with a three-year stint at Manchester West (1980-82). McDonnell worked as the defensive coordinator at Hamilton College for two seasons (1983-84) and subsequently spent three years (1985-87) coaching the receivers and tight ends at former conference-rival Boston University. During the 1988 campaign, McDonnell served as a graduate assistant coach at Boston College. He spent two seasons as an assistant at Columbia (1989-90) prior to his coaching debut in Durham. Sean and his wife, Jenny, reside in Durham and are the parents of two sons: Tim and Tom, a 2015 UNH graduate who played four seasons on the Wildcat men’s basketball team.
Accolades• Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year (’14, ’05)
• Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year
finalist (‘04)
• National Coach of the Year, AFCA (’14)
• District Coach of the Year, AFCA (’14, ‘12, ‘05, ‘04)
• New England Football Writers Coach of the Year (’16, ’14, ‘12, ‘10, ‘08, ‘05)
• College Head Coach of the Year, Gridiron Club of
Greater Boston (‘12, ‘09, ‘04,‘00)
College Coaching Experience
• University of New Hampshire (26 years)
º Head coach (18 years)
º Offensive coordinator (5 years)
º QB / WR coach (3 years)
• Columbia University (2 years)
• Boston College, grad assistant (1 year)
• Boston University, WR/TE (3 years)
• Hamilton College, defensive coordinator (2 years)
Year by Year
1999 5-6 (3-5 Atlantic 10)
2000 6-5 (4-4 Atlantic 10)
2001 4-7 (2-7 Atlantic 10)
2002 3-8 (2-7 Atlantic 10)
2003 5-7 (3-6 Atlantic 10)
2004 10-3 (6-2 Atlantic 10) NCAA quarterfinals
2005 11-2 (7-1 Atlantic 10) NCAA quarterfinals
2006 9-4 (5-3 Atlantic 10) NCAA quarterfinals
2007 7-5 (4-4 CAA) NCAA first round
2008 10-3 (6-2 CAA) NCAA quarterfinals
2009 10-3 (6-2 CAA) NCAA quarterfinals
2010 8-5 (5-3 CAA) NCAA quarterfinals
2011 8-4 (6-2 CAA) NCAA second round
2012 8-4 (6-2 CAA) NCAA second round
2013 10-5 (6-2 CAA) NCAA semifinals
2014 12-2 (8-0 CAA) NCAA semifinals
2015 7-5 (5-3 CAA) NCAA first round
2016 8-5 (6-2 CAA) NCAA second round
Career: 141-83 (.629) | CAA Record: 90-57 (.612)