McDonnell Elevates Cardinals To Elite Level

Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell had only been home from Omaha for a couple of days, yet he was already planning his next move. July is no time for rest.

- Michael Lananna

McDonnell had his eyes on the Futures Game in Miami, where 2016 first-rounder Corey Ray will play. He thought about sticking around for the major league Home Run Derby, too, in case 2010 Louisville draftee Adam Duvall participated again. He sent a text to Brendan McKay, the No. 4 overall pick and 2017 College Player of the Year, to congratulate him on the $7.005 million bonus he just signed.“Be who you are,” McDonnell told him. “Don’t let the crooked number and the zeros— don’t let that change you, man.”

Those players are all products of the McDonnell Era, a few of the pillars that have helped prop Louisville baseball into elite territory. McDonnell is quick to credit those players, his assistant coaches and his athletic director, Tom Jurich, for Louisville’s success. And while they’ve all played crucial roles, it’s no coincidence that the Cardinals have emerged as a national power under the guidance of McDonnell—Baseball America’s College Coach of the Year. The award reflects a decade of excellence.

Since McDonnell took over the program in 2007, Louisville has the third most wins of any school in the country. In the last five years, no team has more wins. After making only one NCAA Tournament appearance previously, in 2002, the Cardinals have made 10 appearances in McDonnell’s 11 seasons. This year marked Louisville’s fourth trip to the College World Series—all under McDonnell, including his debut season.