As many of you know, Coach John McDonnell of the University of Arkansas is retiring this year. The University of Arkansas recently placed the job ad for his replacement on the NCAA Career Center website. Only former SEC rival Pat Henry can rival how prolific this man has been. Check out these milestones from his website:
- 42 NCAA championships since 1984, including 11 cross country, 19 indoor track and 12 outdoor track. Only 24 other NCAA titles in the three sports combined have been won by other schools during that time.
- More national championships (42) than any coach in any sport in the history of college athletics. The next highest is 26 by Pat Henry, former LSU and current track coach at Texas A&M.
- Five national triple crowns, including three in a row (1991-94). Texas-El Paso has won three national triple crowns. No other school has won one.20 conference triple crowns since 1982, including eight straight between 1987 and 1995.
- 25-consecutive conference titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track combined from 1987-1995.
- 73 conference championships in the last 78 events Arkansas has entered since 1981-82.
- 81 conference championships overall since 1974 including 38 in the SWC and 43 in the SEC (in 47 events).
- 12-consecutive NCAA indoor track championships (1984-1995), the longest string of national titles by any school in any sport in collegiate history.
- Coached all but three of Arkansas’ 181 track All-Americans in school history. Those athletes have earned a combined 643 All-America honors.
- Every school outdoor and indoor track record is held by a McDonnell recruit.
- 33-consecutive league and 16-consecutive SEC cross country championships (1974-2006).
- Has produced 54 individual national champions.
- Has coached 23 Olympians spanning three decades and six different Olympic Games, including a gold, silver and bronze medallist.
- Coached former Razorback Daniel Lincoln to the American record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase is July, 2006.
- His 1994 indoor track squads won the national championship by the widest margins in the history of the sport. The ’94 indoor track team scored the most points (94) in the history of the NCAA event.
- His 1994 squad scored 223 points at the SEC outdoor meet, a league record.
- Razorback outdoor track facility named for him.