Texas Rio Grande Valley Athletics

Adrian McDonald, who spent the previous two seasons as the defensive backs coach, special teams coach and recruiting coordinator at Midwestern State, joined UTRGV as the first pass game coordinator, safeties coach and recruiting coordinator in program history in March 6, 2023.

2025

McDonald coached freshman defensive back Alijah Prosser to FCS Football Central Freshman All-American honors and senior defensive back Elijah Graham to Phil Steele 2025 FCS Midseason All-American recognition.

McDonald helped UTRGV rank second in the FCS and first in the Southland in fumbles recovered (13), 10th in the FCS and first in the Southland in team passing efficiency defense (116.93), 16th in the FCS and third in the Southland in rushing yards allowed per game (119.3), 19th in the FCS and fourth in the Southland in total yards allowed per game (328.4), 22nd in the FCS and fourth in the Southland in passes intercepted (12), 22nd in the FCS and fifth in the Southland in tackles for loss per game (6.5), and 34th in the FCS and fourth in the Southland in sacks per game (2.25).

McDonald also helped to put together UTRGV’s first two recruiting classes that led to the Vaqueros being the most successful first-year FCS program ever, finishing 9-3.

Previously
 
McDonald competed collegiately at Houston as a safety from 2012-15, the first three seasons of which Bush was on the coaching staff in positions including offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
 
During his two seasons at Midwestern State, McDonald mentored the defensive backs, coordinated passing game and coverages, oversaw special teams, and created scouting reports while helping his team to an aggregate record of 13-8, including two wins over top 25 teams.
 
McDonald spent the previous two seasons (2019-20) as a defensive graduate assistant at Texas State, where he organized game plans and practices in coordination with then-defensive coordinator Zac Spavital, who coached him during his stellar career at Houston and is now Maryland’s safeties coach. McDonald also assisted in developing players during practice, primarily working with corners, safeties, and returners.
 
McDonald began his coaching career as the defensive backs coach while also serving as a special education teacher at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena in 2018.
 
A native of Lawton, Okla., McDonald was a standout defensive back/safety at Houston, earning numerous awards, including recognition as a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist and a member of the Wuerffel and Nagurski trophy watch lists, in addition to All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) Second Team, Phill Steele’s AAC Third Team, Dave Campbell’s Preseason Best Defensive Back in Texas, Dave’s Campbell’s Preseason All-Texas First Team, and Athlon Sports and Phill Steele’s Preseason AAC First Team honors while serving as team captain as a senior. McDonald was an All-AAC First Team selection as a junior and ended his career with the Houston career record for interceptions (17) while ranking second in interception return yards (286), third in fumble recoveries (7), and fifth in forced fumbles (7). He put an exclamation point on his career with seven tackles in a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Florida State.
 
McDonald spent two seasons in the NFL as a practice squad player with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2016 and the Buffalo Bills on 2017.
 
McDonald graduated from Houston in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. He earned his Master of Education from Texas State in 2021.

McDonald and his girlfriend, Dalia Tejo, reside in the Rio Grande Valley.