Coach Donnie
This (2024) is his 4th season coaching Coast Guard Women’s team. Donnie is in his 34th year in rugby.
He began playing in the US Army at Ft. Carson, Colorado before ascending to selection for All-Army and Combined Armed Forces sides before completing his service. After the Army, Donnie played for the Colorado Springs Grizzlies before moving up to join the Gentlemen of Aspen from 1998 through 2001, a stretch when the Gents won multiple National Division One and Super League Championships.
After his playing days ended, he immediately began his coaching career in 2001. He has coached the Eastern Suburbs Women, Kent State University, University of South Florida Women, Florida Collegiate Women’s All-Stars, Austin Huns, Cleveland Crusaders, Cleveland Iron Maidens Women, Cleveland Rugby Coalition Women, and the US Coast Guard Women.
Donnie takes his rugby, and his coaching education, very seriously in that he has traveled far and wide to obtain some the best rugby and coaching knowledge available anywhere in the world by attending the Investec International Rugby Academy of South Africa as the first American to have ever attended that course. Donnie has a current World Rugby Level 2/USA Rugby Level 300 certification.
While victories are always the goal, he believes that a coach’s success also lies in preparing players to for life and careers outside of rugby. He has had several players ascend to play at the MLR and WPL levels with some reaching premier women’s rugby in England, New Zealand, Canada, and elsewhere. Donnie has recently accepted a graduate position at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Cardiff, Wales and will be joining their rugby staff in the fall of 2025. We are Incredibly grateful to have such a highly decorated rugger on our coaching staff.
