Michael MacDonald begins his third season as Head Coach of the Denison University men's and women's squash programs in 2024-25.
Denison men's squash concluded its 2023-24 season with a record of 10-10, which is good for the most wins in a single season in the first three full years of the program's existence. Denison women's squash concluded its 2023-24 season with a record of 8-12. The Big Red women's team in general played above expectations from the outset given a depleted roster and a relatively young team with no seniors playing for the majority of the season.
Taking over a Big Red squash program in just its second varsity season in 2022-23, MacDonald was recognized by his peers with the Liberty League Women's Squash Coaching Staff of the Year award. MacDonald led the Big Red women's squad to a 9-8 overall record, a third-place finish in their inaugural appearance at the Liberty League Championship, and a No. 24 national ranking. The nine wins were an eight-win improvement over the team's inaugural season of 1-6. On the men's side, Denison took fourth place at the Liberty League Championship and was No. 34 in the national rankings after finishing with an 8-10 overall record. In addition, both Maria Clara Ramirez and Juan Felipe Hernandez advanced to the championship of their respective consolation brackets at the College Squash Association (CSA) National Collegiate Individual Championships. Ramirez played every match at the top of the ladder for the Big Red as a freshman, posted a 14-3 overall record, and went 3-0 in the Walker Cup division at the CSA National Collegiate Women's Team Championship Hernandez, meanwhile also played as Denison's No. 1 seed all season long as a freshman and went 13-5 on the season while finishing a perfect 4-0 in the Conroy Cup division at CSA National Collegiate Men's Team Championship.
Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Nan Carney-DeBord announced the hiring of Denison alum Michael MacDonald as the new Head Men’s and Women’s Squash Coach at Denison University on September 23, 2022. MacDonald replaces Pam Anckermann, who stepped down in August after leading the Denison squash teams into varsity status two years ago and will now move on to join the staff at NCAA Division I Dartmouth College.
MacDonald is the second head coach in Denison’s history of varsity men’s and women’s squash. After graduating from Denison in 2009, MacDonald returns to Denison with 12 years of coaching experience, including the last five years as the head coach of the men’s and women’s squash programs at Connecticut College. In 2018-19 and 2019-20, MacDonald coached the women’s team at Connecticut College to back-to-back Epps Cup titles and coached the men’s team to a No. 27 national ranking at the end of each of those years as well.
MacDonald was hired as the first full-time head squash coach at Connecticut College, where he helped bring stability and confidence to the program from year one as his men's team recorded 12 victories, which included winning seven of their eight matches over a three-week stretch, and registered an impressive 4-1 record in matches decided by just a single individual match. MacDonald's first women's team at Connecticut finished the season with 10 wins after beginning the year with a historic triumph over No. 16 Bates. The women's team was victorious in three of its final four matches in February to end the season on a high note and a couple spots higher in the national rankings.
Following his first year at Connecticut College, MacDonald was promoted to faculty status as he taught classes in introductory golf and beginning squash as an adjunct assistant professor.
In May of 2022, MacDonald was elected to serve on the College Squash Association (CSA) Board of Directors, where he continues to push for the growth of squash at the collegiate level.
Prior to his arrival at Connecticut College, MacDonald was an integral contributor to the Chicago-area squash community. Along with his role as an assistant squash professional at the University Club of Chicago beginning in 2012, he acted as an assistant tournament director for the Windy City Open, now the world’s largest professional squash tournament. Before that, he served as the squash director at MetroSquash, Chicago’s urban squash program that serves over 150 students each year.
In 2016, MacDonald was the head squash coach at Beacon Academy and helped it quickly gain popularity. The following year, he spearheaded the foundation of the Chicagoland Squash Conference for Chicago-area high school squash programs and acted as its league administrator. MacDonald also served as the squash professional at the East Bank Club and provided tailored instruction to its members. His diverse coaching history also includes volunteering with the club team at the University of Chicago and directing the Squash ACES programs at Franklin & Marshall to benefit underserved students from local public schools in the Lancaster area.
MacDonald played on the squash team at Denison University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics and environmental studies in 2009. He earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Northwestern University in 2016.
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Anckermann at Denison
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| Year |
Varsity Season at DU |
Men's Overall Record/Accolades |
Women's Overall Record/Accolades |
| 2022-23 |
1st |
8-10
4th at Liberty League Championship
No. 34 Final National Ranking |
9-8
3rd at Liberty League Championship
No. 24 Final National Ranking
Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year |
| 2023-24 |
2nd |
10-10
4th at Liberty League Championship
No. 28 Final National Ranking |
8-12
3rd at Liberty League Championship
No. 27 in Final National Ranking |
| 2024-25 |
3rd |
8-10
4th at Liberty League Championships
No. 29 Final National Ranking |
13-7
Runner-up at Liberty League Championship
No. 23 Final National Ranking
Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year |
| Overall |
26-30 (.464 pct.) |
30-27 (.526 pct.)
2x Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year Award |
