Paul MacDonald

Paul McDonald earned his degree in 1974 at the University of Pacific where he was a 4-year starter at second base and team captain for the UOP baseball team.

That set the stage for the Palma High grad to return to Salinas to begin a coaching career that lasted 45 years.

He coached football and baseball at Palma for 12 years and the next 29 years at Salinas High coaching football, baseball, tennis and was the athletic director for four years.

Coach Mac is a member of both the Salinas and Palma High School Halls of Fame.

Paul started his coaching career at his alma mater with baseball at Palma High in 1977 where he played football, basketball and baseball. As baseball coach one of his players was Dave Esquer who went on to become head coach at Cal-Berkeley and Stanford.

After coaching Palma to the 1985 and 1986 league titles he went to Salinas High, coaching mostly baseball and football.

He was varsity baseball coach for 11 years, winning the league title in 1990. One of his players, Xavier Nady, reached the major league.

Starting 2011 he spent three years helping the Hartnell College softball team and in 1998 he was an assistant coach for Hartnell baseball.

His passion for coaching and teaching impacted the lives of student-athletes making him a respected figure in the Salinas community.