English coach McDonald ready for new US season with Rainbow Wāhine

Originally from Surrey, he coached at Ashcombe, Oxford University, University College London and Richmond, as well as working with the England Junior National Teams and at VBDC camps. 

Since moving to the US, he has worked at Georgia Tech, Baylor University and LOVB Salt Lake, prior to joining the island state team. 

As a technical coordinator with Baylor from 2023 through to the 2025 season, McDonald  assisted with recruiting and helped raise more than $200,000 to fund a foreign tour in 2024. 

He has also worked for USA Volleyball, serving as a performance analyst for the USA Women’s National Team during the Volleyball Nations League and the USA U21 Women’s National Team at the Pan American Cup. 

Last year, he served in the same role for the USA Beach team that won a bronze medal at the World University Games. 

"I am so excited for this next chapter in Hawaii," said Will, who has been coaching for more than 14 years. "Being part of such a prestigious programme with a rich history of success is a true honour, and I'm loving every minute of my new job here. 

"I've been very fortunate to have been surrounded by incredible people every step of my journey in volleyball, but I've never worked somewhere with a community as engaged and as passionate about our team as here at the University of Hawaii.  

"My first start in the US came at Georgia Tech, one of the premier teams on the East Coast. I learned so much from my time there and it served as an amazing foundation to build my career at Baylor, then with LOVB Salt Lake before getting the opportunity to come to the University of Hawaii." 

Will rarely gets the opportunity to return to the UK, but is hoping to make the trip in 2027. 

He hopes that he can inspire others to follow in his footsteps and has some simple advice for those looking to start their coaching journey. 

Will said: "My tip for any coaches starting out in their career is to watch as much high-level volleyball as they can, and to distill every aspect down into its most simple components. Ask as many questions as you can and learn from everyone you interact with. 

"There are some amazing coaches within the UK who are willing and excited to help you learn, and then go and pass on that knowledge by helping everyone you can. 

"If you ever have any questions, you can always reach out to me via social media." 

Rainbow Wāhine begin their campaign this Friday against Georgia Southern in the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wāhine Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center. 

You can follow Will on Instagram here.