Austin Peay Athletics

Walden Announces Seth McDonald Bandit Coach

12/18/2023 9:54:00 AM

EL PASO – UTEP Football Head Coach Scotty Walden named Seth McDonald the Miners' bandit coach on Monday.

McDonald comes to the 915 with Walden after serving as Austin Peay's linebackers coach, co-special teams coordinator and defensive recruiting coordinator during the 2023 season. His duties included coaching the MIKE, SAM and Bandit linebackers, while assisting in all four special teams unit's game plans and heading the kickoff team. The Governors finished 9-3 overall and 6-0 in league play. APU claimed a 2023 United Athletic Conference Championship and an FCS playoff berth.

"Coach McDonald is one of the youngest, brightest coaches in the country. He branched off Coach Kane Womack's tree at South Alabama and has done an amazing job with his guys," Walden said. "He coached two all-conference linebackers at Austin Peay and will do a great job with the Miner Defense. Seth is also a tenacious recruiter and will do a great job spearheading the recruiting of the 'Orange Swarm' defense!"

During the 2023 season, Austin Peay's total defense ranked third in the UAC (396.0 yards allowed per game). APU rated third in the UAC and 42^nd in FCS in scoring defense (24.4). The Governors ranked first in the UAC and 12^th in FCS with a trio of defensive touchdowns. APU's defense forced 16 turnovers, while it ranked third in UAC with 11 interceptions.

A pair of All-UAC first team linebackers, in grad student Tyler Long and redshirt junior Sam Howard, topped the Governors with 100+ tackles each. Long led the way with 109 stops (43 solo), while Howard tallied 105 tackles (41 solo). Long ranked second in the league and 27^th in FCS with 9.1 tackles per game. Howard's 8.8 per contest was third in the UAC and 35^th in FCS.

McDonald served as a graduate assistant at South Alabama for two seasons. He coached the outside linebackers and assisted with all four units on special teams. The Jaguars' defense ranked in the top 25 in the FCS in three categories – third downs, redzone, and rushing – during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. South Alabama finished with its first 10-win campaign in school history in 2022 and faced WKU in the New Orleans Bowl.

McDonald was a graduate assistant and assistant linebackers coach at Indiana during the 2020 season. He helped develop current New York Giants' LB Micah McFadden into a 2020 All-Big Ten first team member and an All-American second team player. The Hoosiers ranked no. 1 in the FBS in redzone defense (64 percent). IU was also no. 1 in sacks (25) and interceptions (17) in the Big Ten, and rated no. 4 in the conference in scoring defense. Indiana went on to play Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl.

McDonald was also a graduate assistant and worked with the linebackers at Jacksonville State in 2019 and Robert Morris in 2018.

Prior to coaching, McDonald lettered four years (2013-16) and started 23 games in 48 played at linebacker at Eastern Illinois. McDonald was named first team all-conference as a senior, when he led the team with 99 tackles. He paced the team with 109 stops (57 solo) as a junior. McDonald played for then-defensive coordinator Kane Wommack for two years (2014-15) at Eastern Illinois. Wommack also served as Indiana's DC during the 2020 season when McDonald was a grad assistant.

McDonald graduated from Eastern Illinois was an exercise science degree in 2017.

MCDONALD'S COACHING CAREER
2023 – Austin Peay (linebackers coach/co-special teams coor./defensive recruiting coordinator)
2021-22 – South Alabama (outside linebackers coach/graduate assistant)
2020 – Indiana (assistant linebackers coach/graduate assistant)
2019 – Jacksonville State (assistant linebackers coach/graduate assistant)
2018 – Robert Morris (linebackers coach/graduate assistant)

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