Craig McDonald is the head coach of Robert Morris men’s lacrosse in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. He was named to the position on Sept. 20, 2021, and has guided the Colonials through one of the strongest stretches in program history. In five seasons at the helm, he has led Robert Morris to back-to-back conference championships since the program returned to the Northeast Conference in 2025, along with consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. His overall record through the 2026 season stands at 48-34. Over the last two seasons, McDonald’s teams have established themselves as the class of the NEC. In 2026, he was named NEC Coach of the Year after guiding RMU to its first outright regular-season conference title since 2012. The Colonials went 14-4 overall and 7-0 in league play, setting program records with 14 total wins and 13 straight victories. Robert Morris placed nine players on the All-NEC teams, led by Dylan Anderson, who swept NEC Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year honors, while Owen Tapper was named NEC Defensive Player of the Year. Anderson and Tapper both earned USILA All-America honorable mention recognition, and Tapper also received USA Lacrosse All-America honorable mention honors. In 2025, Robert Morris made an immediate statement in its first season back in the NEC. The Colonials won both the regular-season and tournament championships, finished 11-6 overall and 6-1 in conference play, and earned another NCAA Tournament berth. The team set a program record with 10 all-conference selections, including NEC Player of the Year Bo Columbus and NEC Offensive Player of the Year David Burr. RMU also tied the second-longest winning streak in program history with six straight victories from mid-March to mid-April and went 7-0 at home during the regular season, the most home wins at Joe Walton Stadium since 2009. McDonald also made an immediate impact when he first took over the program in 2022.
In his debut season, Robert Morris won the ASUN Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament after posting a 10-6 record and finishing second in the league at 4-1. The Colonials beat Air Force in the semifinals and then captured the title with an 18-17 overtime victory in the championship game. That season marked only the fourth time in program history that RMU reached double-digit wins. Seven players earned ASUN All-Conference honors, including Jake Boudreau as Midfielder of the Year. In 2023, the Colonials went 8-8 and returned to the ASUN Championship, highlighted by a first-round playoff win over Jacksonville. Three RMU players earned all-conference honors, and James Christoforatos became the program’s first College Sports Communicators Academic All-American. In 2024, McDonald again led the Colonials to the ASUN Championship, marking the program’s third consecutive trip to the league title game, and six players earned all-conference recognition, including three members of the All-Freshman Team. Before taking over at Robert Morris, McDonald spent seven seasons at UMass, serving first as an assistant coach and later as associate head coach. He coordinated the defense while also working with the goaltenders, faceoff specialists, and recruiting. During his time there, the Minutemen reached three Colonial Athletic Association championship games, won the 2018 CAA title, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. His 2019 defense ranked third nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 8.87 goals per game. McDonald also enjoyed a strong collegiate playing career at Albany, where he graduated in 2008. A four-year letterwinner on defense, he helped the Great Danes reach the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and 2007. He earned three All-America East selections and was named first team all-conference in both 2007 and 2008. Under his leadership as a coach, Robert Morris has also continued to develop professional talent, with more than a dozen Colonials moving on to play in the National Lacrosse League. A native of Geneva, New York, McDonald lives in the Pittsburgh area with his wife, Maggie, their sons Conor and Cian, and daughter Scotland.
