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Men's Baseball coach, former Ole baseball player named Director of Athletics

Le Ann Finger
August 5, 2003

Matt McDonald has been named the new athletic director at St. Olaf College. Cindy Book, who has held the position for the past five years, has decided to return to coaching as an assistant volleyball coach, and will remain the department chair of the Recreation, Physical Education and Athletics department.

McDonald, who has coached the St. Olaf baseball team since 1994, will be the director for all men's and women's sports at the college, which is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). McDonald will remain as the Head Baseball coach.

"As a former St. Olaf athlete and current head coach, Matt has a good understanding of athletics at St. Olaf," Book says. "I have enjoyed my tenure as Director of Athletics and wish him much success in his new role."

A native of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, McDonald earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology from St. Olaf in 1989 and played on the football and baseball teams. He lettered three years in football and four years in baseball. McDonald played on the 1988 and 1989 MIAC Championship teams at St. Olaf, captaining the 1989 squad. He was named All-MIAC and All-Region second baseman in 1988, 1989 and led the MIAC in hitting in 1988. McDonald returned to his alma mater in 1991, where he has taught and coached baseball, football, and golf. McDonald earned his masters degree in Kinesology from the University of Minnesota in 1994.

"I am thrilled to become the Director of Athletics at St. Olaf," McDonald says. "Cindy Book has been a fantastic role model for me, and I look forward to working hard for our student-athletes and with our staff."

After four years as a St. Olaf baseball player, and four years as an assistant coach to the legendary Jim Dimick, McDonald was named Head Baseball Coach in 1994. He has continued the winning tradition at St. Olaf with seven straight twenty plus win seasons, including school records for conference wins in 1997 (16), 2000 (18), 2001 (18) 2002 (17) and 36 overall wins in 2000. McDonald's overall record is 241-109. The baseball team has won the MIAC conference championship three consecutive years, 2000, 2001, and 2002 and finished second in 2003.

With their 2003 MIAC Tournament victory, they earned a trip to the NCAA Division III baseball national tournament. In addition, McDonald has served as the Chair of the NCAA Division III Baseball committee for the past three years. He and his wife, Barb, live in Northfield with their two children, Katie, 13, and Tommy, 6. McDonald is a member of Bethel Lutheran Church and a coach in the Northfield youth softball program.

Contact Le Ann Finger at 507-786-3834 or finger@stolaf.edu.