On September 1, 2017, after forty years in intercollegiate athletics, Jack McDonald retired from the University of New England as the Vice President of Student Engagement and Director of Athletics. Prior to UNE, McDonald served as the Director of Athletics at Quinnipiac University for twenty years (1995-2015).

While at Quinnipiac, McDonald was instrumental in transitioning the institution from its NCAA Division II membership into Division I. He played an integral role in all phases of building the TD Bank Sports Center; brokered television, radio and internet packages for the Bobcats; hired head coaches who led programs to national and conference prominence; and, achieved record marks for student-athlete achievement in the classroom.  McDonald was named the NACDA Under Armour Division IAAA Athletic Director of the Year in 2013-2014.

Prior to Quinnipiac, McDonald had a successful five-year stint as the Director of Athletics at the University of Denver after serving as an athletic administrator at his alma mater, Boston College.  McDonald started his intercollegiate athletics’ career as the Head Coach for Men’s and Women’s Track and Cross Country at BC earning several team and individual accomplishments during this time period.  He also was a standout track and field student-athlete for Boston College and was inducted into the BC Hall of Fame in 1982.

McDonald served on several national committees over the years, most notably the – NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Committee, NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics, NCAA Certification Steering Committee, NCAA Championship and Competition Cabinet, and the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee (Chair).  He also participated on the National Association of Collegiate Director of Athletics (NACDA) Executive Committee and served as both the President and Vice President of the NACDA IAAA Athletic Director’s Association.  In 2015, McDonald received NACDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and was a 2019 inductee to the NACDA Hall of Fame.

McDonald, a native of Braintree, Massachusetts, lives in Marshfield with his wife, Linda.  They have four grown sons – Brian, Jim, Jack and David.