247 is reporting Illinois assistant George McDonald is going to be hired by Ole Miss as wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator. McDonald would replace Derrick Nix, who was recently hired as the offensive coordinator at Auburn.
From the University of Illinois site:
George McDonald is in his fourth season as assistant head coach/wide receivers coach at Illinois in 2024. McDonald has led a resurgence for the wide receiver position at his alma mater Illinois, where he played the position for the Fighting Illini from 1995-98.
McDonald helped Illinois' offense rank as one of the best in the Big Ten in 2023, as the Illini finished in the top five in the conference in passing (3rd), total yards (t-4th), and scoring (5th) and led the Big Ten West in all three categories. Isaiah Williams, one of the top receivers in the nation, was named to the All-Big Ten First Team after leading the Big Ten and ranking 13th in the nation in receptions (82) and ranking second in the Big Ten and 15th in the nation in receiving yards (1,055) during the regular season. All three wide receiver starters for McDonald had over 500 receiving yards, as Casey Washington totaled 670 yards and three touchdowns and Pat Bryant added 560 receiving yards and a team-best seven touchdowns on the season. Illinois was the only Power-5 program with a 1,000-yard receiver and two other receivers over 500 yards in 2023.
McDonald helped Illinois to one of its best seasons in over a decade in 2022, as the Illini finished the regular season 8-4 and earned a trip to the ReliaQuest Bowl, Illinois' first January bowl game in 15 years. The Illini were ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks and Illinois was ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history. McDonald's group was led by All-Big Ten wide receiver Isaiah Williams, who ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in receptions per game (2nd, 6.3), receiving yards (7th, 715), receiving touchdowns (10th, 5), and receiving yards per game (10th, 55). Williams was second in the nation in yards after catch (683), according to PFF, and ranked 15th in the nation in receiving yards (6.3). Illinois was the only team in the Big Ten that featured four wide receivers with 30+ receptions.
McDonald helped Illinois to a pair of road ranked wins in his first season back in Champaign in 2021, first a 9 OT thriller at #7 Penn State in the longest game in college football history, then a win at #20 Minnesota. McDonald's wide receiver unit was led by Isaiah Williams, who had 47 receptions for 525 yards and six total touchdowns, after he transitioned from quarterback for the final two practices of Spring Ball. During Illinois' game at #18 Iowa, McDonald served as head coach while Bret Bielema was out due to COVID-19 protocols.
McDonald returned to his alma mater in 2021 following six seasons at North Carolina State and with experience in three Power-5 conferences and the NFL. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ball State before earning his first full-time position at Northern Illinois from 2001-03. While in DeKalb, he coached First-Team All-MAC receiver, and current Minnesota head coach, P.J. Fleck, second-team All-American Dan Sheldon, and All-American Darrell "The Thrill" Hill.
After a season at Stanford as tight ends coach in 2004 where he coached Mackey Award finalist Alex Smith, McDonald followed Bill Cubit from the Cardinal to Western Michigan as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach of the Broncos. Cubit later was interim head coach at Illinois in 2015. One of his players at WMU was 2005 MAC Player of the Year, Biletnikoff Award semifinalist and All-American Greg Jennings. McDonald then took a position on former Illini tight end Tim Brewster's first staff at Minnesota from 2007-08, where he coached First-Team All-Big Ten performer Eric Decker.
McDonald made the jump to the NFL's Cleveland Browns from 2009-10 as wide receivers coach under Eric Mangini. He then was named wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator at the University of Miami from 2011-12 under Al Golden. He was actually named the receivers coach at Arkansas under then-new head coach Bret Bielema in December 2012, but was offered the offensive coordinator position at Syracuse under former Illini assistant coach Scott Shafer a few weeks later where he spent the 2013-14 seasons. His six-year stint at NC State began in 2015 under former Bielema assistant Dave Doeren as wide receivers coach and has watched his role grow to passing game coordinator, co-offensive coordinator, and most recently as assistant head coach of the Wolfpack. Under McDonald's tutelage, for the first time in ACC history, NC State had a pair of wide receivers named to the All-ACC first-team in 2018 when Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers both topped 1,000 receiving yards. During his career, he has mentored 27 players who have gone on to play in the NFL.
McDonald was a four-year letterwinner at receiver for the Fighting Illini and completed his Illinois football career with 57 receptions for 589 yards and four touchdowns. He led the Big Ten in kickoff return yardage in 1996 (736) while returning 57 kickoffs for 1,276 yards (22.4 avg.) during his career. McDonald also ran track his freshman and senior years, earning All-Big Ten honors his senior year when he set an Illinois record with a time of 6.74 in the 60 meters, a mark that still ranks seventh on the Illini top times list, to win the 1999 Big Ten Indoor Championships 60m title.
Born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, McDonald graduated from Buena Park High School in California before his collegiate career at Illinois where he played for Lou Tepper and Ron Turner, and was a teammate of Fighting Illini Athletics Director Josh Whitman. He earned his bachelor's degree in health planning and administration from Illinois in 1999. He and his wife, the former Heather Anderson, have two sons, Roman and Maverick.
I reached out to some contacts to get some info on McDonald.
One source said McDonald is "a great person to talk to about player development" and he's very much a tactician who typically prefers playing older players. He said McDonald "was the guy who campaigned Isaiah Williams to move off QB and do WR full-time and now he’s a possible late-round NFL draft pick."
McDonald's play-calling was called into question when he did it at Syracuse, but he's very respected as a position coach and game-planner.
McDonald played at Illinois and lived with Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy. Illinois has a WR from Mississippi, Ashton Hollins, that George has turned into something from nothing, a source said.
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There is already speculation Hollins would possibly try to transfer to Ole Miss to stay with McDonald.
From the University of Illinois site:
George McDonald is in his fourth season as assistant head coach/wide receivers coach at Illinois in 2024. McDonald has led a resurgence for the wide receiver position at his alma mater Illinois, where he played the position for the Fighting Illini from 1995-98.
McDonald helped Illinois' offense rank as one of the best in the Big Ten in 2023, as the Illini finished in the top five in the conference in passing (3rd), total yards (t-4th), and scoring (5th) and led the Big Ten West in all three categories. Isaiah Williams, one of the top receivers in the nation, was named to the All-Big Ten First Team after leading the Big Ten and ranking 13th in the nation in receptions (82) and ranking second in the Big Ten and 15th in the nation in receiving yards (1,055) during the regular season. All three wide receiver starters for McDonald had over 500 receiving yards, as Casey Washington totaled 670 yards and three touchdowns and Pat Bryant added 560 receiving yards and a team-best seven touchdowns on the season. Illinois was the only Power-5 program with a 1,000-yard receiver and two other receivers over 500 yards in 2023.
McDonald helped Illinois to one of its best seasons in over a decade in 2022, as the Illini finished the regular season 8-4 and earned a trip to the ReliaQuest Bowl, Illinois' first January bowl game in 15 years. The Illini were ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks and Illinois was ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history. McDonald's group was led by All-Big Ten wide receiver Isaiah Williams, who ranked in the top 10 in the Big Ten in receptions per game (2nd, 6.3), receiving yards (7th, 715), receiving touchdowns (10th, 5), and receiving yards per game (10th, 55). Williams was second in the nation in yards after catch (683), according to PFF, and ranked 15th in the nation in receiving yards (6.3). Illinois was the only team in the Big Ten that featured four wide receivers with 30+ receptions.
McDonald helped Illinois to a pair of road ranked wins in his first season back in Champaign in 2021, first a 9 OT thriller at #7 Penn State in the longest game in college football history, then a win at #20 Minnesota. McDonald's wide receiver unit was led by Isaiah Williams, who had 47 receptions for 525 yards and six total touchdowns, after he transitioned from quarterback for the final two practices of Spring Ball. During Illinois' game at #18 Iowa, McDonald served as head coach while Bret Bielema was out due to COVID-19 protocols.
McDonald returned to his alma mater in 2021 following six seasons at North Carolina State and with experience in three Power-5 conferences and the NFL. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ball State before earning his first full-time position at Northern Illinois from 2001-03. While in DeKalb, he coached First-Team All-MAC receiver, and current Minnesota head coach, P.J. Fleck, second-team All-American Dan Sheldon, and All-American Darrell "The Thrill" Hill.
After a season at Stanford as tight ends coach in 2004 where he coached Mackey Award finalist Alex Smith, McDonald followed Bill Cubit from the Cardinal to Western Michigan as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach of the Broncos. Cubit later was interim head coach at Illinois in 2015. One of his players at WMU was 2005 MAC Player of the Year, Biletnikoff Award semifinalist and All-American Greg Jennings. McDonald then took a position on former Illini tight end Tim Brewster's first staff at Minnesota from 2007-08, where he coached First-Team All-Big Ten performer Eric Decker.
McDonald made the jump to the NFL's Cleveland Browns from 2009-10 as wide receivers coach under Eric Mangini. He then was named wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator at the University of Miami from 2011-12 under Al Golden. He was actually named the receivers coach at Arkansas under then-new head coach Bret Bielema in December 2012, but was offered the offensive coordinator position at Syracuse under former Illini assistant coach Scott Shafer a few weeks later where he spent the 2013-14 seasons. His six-year stint at NC State began in 2015 under former Bielema assistant Dave Doeren as wide receivers coach and has watched his role grow to passing game coordinator, co-offensive coordinator, and most recently as assistant head coach of the Wolfpack. Under McDonald's tutelage, for the first time in ACC history, NC State had a pair of wide receivers named to the All-ACC first-team in 2018 when Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers both topped 1,000 receiving yards. During his career, he has mentored 27 players who have gone on to play in the NFL.
McDonald was a four-year letterwinner at receiver for the Fighting Illini and completed his Illinois football career with 57 receptions for 589 yards and four touchdowns. He led the Big Ten in kickoff return yardage in 1996 (736) while returning 57 kickoffs for 1,276 yards (22.4 avg.) during his career. McDonald also ran track his freshman and senior years, earning All-Big Ten honors his senior year when he set an Illinois record with a time of 6.74 in the 60 meters, a mark that still ranks seventh on the Illini top times list, to win the 1999 Big Ten Indoor Championships 60m title.
Born in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, McDonald graduated from Buena Park High School in California before his collegiate career at Illinois where he played for Lou Tepper and Ron Turner, and was a teammate of Fighting Illini Athletics Director Josh Whitman. He earned his bachelor's degree in health planning and administration from Illinois in 1999. He and his wife, the former Heather Anderson, have two sons, Roman and Maverick.
I reached out to some contacts to get some info on McDonald.
One source said McDonald is "a great person to talk to about player development" and he's very much a tactician who typically prefers playing older players. He said McDonald "was the guy who campaigned Isaiah Williams to move off QB and do WR full-time and now he’s a possible late-round NFL draft pick."
McDonald's play-calling was called into question when he did it at Syracuse, but he's very respected as a position coach and game-planner.
McDonald played at Illinois and lived with Simeon Rice and Kevin Hardy. Illinois has a WR from Mississippi, Ashton Hollins, that George has turned into something from nothing, a source said.
Ashton Hollins - Illinois Fighting Illini Wide Receiver - ESPN
View the profile of Illinois Fighting Illini Wide Receiver Ashton Hollins on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.
There is already speculation Hollins would possibly try to transfer to Ole Miss to stay with McDonald.
