Highlanders coach Robbie McClellan and his team enjoyed being adopted by Arkansas fans during regional last weekend in Fayetteville.
Bucknam, Harter on legacy McDonnell left with Razorbacks’ track programs
Arkansas track coaches Chris Bucknam and Lance Harter talked Tuesday morning about John McDonnell’s impact goes beyond championships.
Legendary track coach McDonnell passes away at 82
Legendary Arkansas men’s track and field coach John McDonnell passed away Monday evening in Fayetteville at the age of 82.
The following is a statement from the McDonnell family regarding the death of former University of Arkansas men’s track and field coach John McDonnell. Coach McDonnell, 82, died on June 7, 2021 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“It is with profound sadness that the McDonnell family announces our beloved husband, father, and brother, John McDonnell, transitioned to Heaven with our Lord and Savior at 10:54 pm on Monday, June 7, 2021. He passed away so peacefully, enveloped in the love of his family and friends. He could have settled anywhere in America after emigrating from Ireland, but chose to call Northwest Arkansas home because as he often stated, this was ‘God’s Country’.
“His career speaks for itself, but what truly spoke was his love for God, serving others, and his limitless generosity. We want everyone to know how thankful he was for the support, love, friendship, and depth of opportunities he received throughout the years. While the world has lost an extraordinary man, we not only mourn his loss, but wholeheartedly celebrate that God allowed people around the world to be touched and impacted by his gifts of faith, love, and inspiration. His legacy and spirit will forever live on through his family, friends, colleagues, and athletes.”
Arrangements for McDonnell will be announced when they are finalized.
In his 36-year hall of fame coaching career at Arkansas, McDonnell established a legacy of success unrivaled in the history of NCAA athletics producing 40 NCAA championships, including six national triple crowns and 12 consecutive NCAA Indoor titles from 1984-95.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of a true Razorback legend and quite simply the greatest collegiate coach in the history of intercollegiate athletics,” athletics director Hunter Yurachek said. “John McDonnell was the personification of success on and off the track, winning 40 NCAA Championships and 83 conference titles, while even more importantly making an indelible impact on the hundreds of young men who had the privilege to compete for him.
“Coach McDonnell believed in each of his student-athletes and they loved and trusted him. What resulted was a stretch of unprecedented championship success at the University of Arkansas and lifelong lessons that will carry his legacy forward. Our thoughts and prayers as well as those of the entire Razorback Nation are with his wife Ellen, their son Sean, daughter Heather, the entire McDonnell family and all of the student-athletes, coaches, staff members and fans who were a part of his remarkable story.”
McDonnell’s accomplishments with the Arkansas men’s track and field program shine as a beacon for the Razorbacks in an infinite legacy.
While the amazing numbers he achieved with Arkansas will always be there to serve as a reminder to the dominance of the Razorback men’s program over his span of 36 years with the program, the personal relationships he developed along the way will be cherished forever.
The opportunity for many student-athletes to join an elite program built by McDonnell allowed numerous Razorbacks to flourish as individuals while being part of a powerhouse team which displayed its prowess through each season of cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.
Lessons learned from McDonnell, while first establishing and then elevating Arkansas to an elite track and field program, carried beyond the time spent on campus, serving as a roadmap to future endeavors, either within the sport or life in general.
There are few coaches in the history of sports who come close to what McDonnell achieved at the University of Arkansas. From 1984 to 2000, a span of 17 years, at least one of his three teams brought home a national championship.
In total, there were 40 NCAA Championships for the Razorbacks under McDonnell, with 19 won during the indoor season, 11 in cross country and 10 during the outdoor season. McDonnell received National Coach of the Year honors 30 times in his career as well as 49 conference coaching honors.
Among those national championships with McDonnell at the helm, the Razorbacks joined the UTEP men’s team as the only program to claim a triple crown of titles, and then surpassed the Miners with a total of six, which includes five academic year and a calendar year variation of the triple crown.
From County Mayo, Ireland, McDonnell became a six-time All-American in cross country, and track & field at Southwestern Louisiana, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1969. In 1972, McDonnell became head cross country coach of the Razorbacks, and then head track and field coach in 1977-78.
On the conference level, McDonnell’s team flourished with 83 titles (37 SWC, 46 SEC), which included 34 consecutive championships in cross country, 27 from indoor and 22 outdoor. Even with the move to the SEC in 1991, the Razorbacks won 13 consecutive titles which then turned into 28 titles out of 29 contested from 1991 to 2001.
Within that amazing accumulation of conference titles, Arkansas achieved 20 conference triple crowns under McDonnell, earning 12 in the SEC and eight from the SWC. The Razorbacks accomplished eight consecutive triple crowns from 1987 to 1995, which included moving from the SWC to the SEC.
In addition to the championships, his list of honors includes membership in the halls of fame for National Track and Field, United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), USA Track and Field, Arkansas Sports and Louisiana-Lafayette as well as the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor. Arkansas’ 7,000-seat outdoor facility, John McDonnell Field, is also named in his honor.
Coach McDonnell was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Patrick McDonnell and Leo McDonnell, and two sisters, Catherine McDonnell and Annie Griffin.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years Ellen (Elias) McDonnell, one son Sean McDonnell of Fayetteville, Arkansas, one daughter, Heather Hastings and husband Jeffery of Fayetteville, Arkansas, three sisters, Philomena Pena of Barcelona, Spain, Mary McDonnell and Margaret Carr both of Ballina, Ireland, one brother, Michael McDonnell and wife Jane of Edmond, Oklahoma, a sister in law, Una McDonnell of Crossmolina, Ireland and two grandchildren, Noah and Christopher Hastings.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast: Kopps does it Again
Tye & Clay on the win over Nebraska, Kevin Kopps’ performance, some Arkansas headlines and more!
Kopps’ beet-juiced bionic arm, Welch’s hitting keeps Hogs playing
Kevin Kopps carried Arkansas on his right arm Monday into a Super Regional later this week along with another pinch-hit homer by Charlie Welch.
The final score was 6-2. Jaxon Wiggins started for the Razorbacks and got two batters out in the third before Kopps came in and Nebraska pushed across a run on baserunners he inherited for a 2-0 lead.
He finished the game, throwing 90 pitches. It was his third appearance in the regional and he threw 185 pitches by my count over four days.
“What an incredible, incredible college pitcher,” Dave Van Horn said later about Kopps.
Kopps’ drinking beet juice lately is what he jokingly refers to as the secret. Actually it’s a 24-year-old arm that is mature and a smart pitcher that is the age of a lot of pitchers in pro ball.
He’s the biggest part of this year for Van Horn and he knows it. He’s also not speculating on where the Hogs would be right now without him.
“I don’t even want to think about it,” he said.
Bringing in Kopps so early, Van Horn’s plan became get to the seventh or eighth inning and bring in Patrick Wicklander, who was chomping at the bit to get into the game.
“He wouldn’t let us take him out,” Van Horn said.
After the Hogs put up four in the eighth inning to seal the deal on what was a game that was looking like extra innings for sure (mainly on Welch’s three-run pinch-hit homer), Kopps simply told Van Horn he was going back out for the ninth.
“I’ve never seen anything like it as long as I’ve been involved in college baseball, to have a guy that’s able to go out there and compete at such a high level in such an environment on this stage and to do it over and over and over,” Nebraska coach Will Bolt said later. “There’s a reason he’s a national pitcher of the year.”
Well, he might end up being the player of the year as that vote is coming in the next few days.
For now, though, he’s carried the Hogs into a Super Regional matchup later this week against North Carolina State, who is hitting the ball a lot winning the Ruston Regional.
And there will be more standing-room-only crowds. They exploded on Welch’s homer in the eighth, which was a massive shot that was one of those no-doubters when he connected on a fastball he was waiting on.
“It was surreal,” Welch said later. “You could feel it on your body. It’s so loud you’re shaking. Your helmet is trembling. I’ve never experienced that.”
Van Horn noticed, too.
“That’s the loudest I’ve ever heard this stadium and I’ve been in some crazy games here,” he said. “That was incredibly loud.”
Now they’ll be needed again against the Wolfpack, who is on a roll. The Hogs are just two wins away from going back to Omaha to play for a national title.
Which has been the goal for Van Horn and this team all year long.
Hog Reaction – Hog Baseball is heading to the Super Regionals, beats Nebraska 6-2
Tye and SmackDown recap a wild regional 6-2 victory over Nebraska, sending the Hogs to the Super Regionals to take on NC-State!
Van Horn recapping Razorbacks’ 6-2 win to get to Super Regional again
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said Kevin Kopps wanted to stay in game and wild eighth inning that broke open close game Monday night.
Kopps on another big-time outing going seven, shutting down Huskers
Kevin Kopps threw 90 pitches in third appearance in regionals, but it stopped Nebraska in Hogs’ 6-2 win to advance to Super Regional.
Welch on getting pitch he was expecting on three-run blast to ice win
Arkansas’ Charlie Welch had done his homework before coming in to pinch-hit in the eighth inning looking for a fast ball and hit massive homer.
Bolt on Nebraska’s season ending in 6-2 regional loss to Razorbacks
Huskers coach Will Bolt will be pulling for his former coach after the Hogs rallied late before large, loud crowd at Baum-Walker on Monday night.
