Inside look at athletic director Jan McDonald
Whitley Bras, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of NGU Athletics
Jan McDonald grew up in Fountain Inn, S.C. and grew up knowing that she wanted to be in a career involving coaching and athletics. McDonald attended Erskine college for her undergraduate degree and received her master’s from Furman University. She first came to North Greenville University in 1983 and says, “I love this place. North Greenville is my home. It is like my family.”
McDonald has two little dogs and enjoys being surrounded by the outdoors. When she isn’t working, she loves to go mountain biking, relax on vacation and spend time on her boat.
Since McDonald first came to North Greenville University in 1983, she has been able to have a huge impact on the athletic department. She was able to start the softball program in 1984 and coached it until around 2001. She has been a part of starting and coaching programs at NGU such as women’s basketball, volleyball and the women’s soccer program in the late 80s to early 90s. McDonald has also taught physical education classes at North Greenville, which she has done so up until this year.
McDonald has been the Athletic Director at NGU since 1990 and when talking about her job states, “I really don’t have a real job and if you can say that that means you love your job.” Having the ability to impact the student athletes at North Greenville as well as create an environment and provide an adequate facility for the athletic program is very meaningful to her.
As the athletic director, she oversees that NGU is meeting the NCAA rules, conference rules, regulations, policies and she is head of the athletic department staff and coaches. McDonald also works with the athletic budget to make sure that the funding for the department goes to the appropriate areas.
“All the head coaches answer directly to me and our athletic staff under them. I’m responsible for all those people and then, of course, their directly responsible for any assistant coaches under them. But if something happens it still comes back on me…. My job is to hopefully make sure that nothing bad happens to the athletes. So, I’m responsible for the entire athletic program when it comes to that perspective,” she said.
There are 525 student athletes at North Greenville University and McDonald hopes to have the ability to impact all of their lives in a positive way through creating opportunities for them as athletes. She says, “I feel like the thing I miss about coaching that I feel I don’t get to do as an athletic director is have a direct impact on students’ lives…. As an athletic director what I get to do differently is I get to see everyone.”
Jan McDonald has had a huge impact not only on the athletic programs and North Greenville, but on student athletes as well, so it is an honor to have her on our athletic department staff. McDonald wanted to reiterate her joy of being at NGU by saying, “I’m very blessed to be here. I’m surrounded by a lot of good people and that’s what makes this place so special. It’s not anything that I’ve done. It’s the people around you and I think God works through those people and that’s how North Greenville has impacted me far greater than I would impact anybody.”
