During a career that spanned more than three decades, Gerry McDonald was the heart and soul of the Marathon Central athletics. A generation of students from this tiny Central New York hamlet knew no other physical education instructor and played for no other coach.
From March of 1942 until June of 1973, McDonald devoted his life to Marathon athletics. He coached soccer, varsity and junior varsity basketball, volleyball, baseball and track. For 15 of those seasons, McDonald was the only coach.
A native of Cortland, McDonald was a standout athlete at the College. He quarterbacked the Red Dragon grid squads that went undefeated in 1932 and 1933. In 1934, the yearbook wrote of him: “ ‘Mac’ is the cream of the crop as a blocking back…he was slightly handicapped by his weight but made up for it in ability and aggressiveness.” McDonald also played basketball and captained the Cortland baseball unit.
In 1935, McDonald received a degree in physical education from Cortland. He worked at Smith Corona in town until taking over the Marathon Central athletic director’s position in 1942.
His successes at the school are legendary. Between 1944 and 1969, McDonald’s soccer teams posted a 163-80-26 record, winning seven league and five sectional titles. In basketball, his teams captured six league, five Cortland County Play-Off and two sectional crowns between 1942 and 1963. For all but four of those seasons, McDonald coached both the varsity and junior varsity hoop teams. In 1954-55, his combined varsity and jayvee record was 45-0. Between 1949 and 1961, McDonald’s volleyball squads took 10 league and three sectional championships. While coaching baseball from 1942 to 1959, McDonald’s Marathon squads were 97-77 in league action. Spring seasons were exceptionally busy for McDonald, who doubled as the track mentor for 17 campaigns. His Marathon thinclads earned a pair of conference trophies.
A one-man athletic department, McDonald also found time to help his community as Boy Scout director, assisted with the Little League and roller skating, and was a member of the Lions Club.
A former Marathon student-athlete of McDonald’s wrote of him: “His athletic teams had certain hallmarks which distinguished them. First and foremost was sportsmanship. Any young man playing on a McDonald team realized early that to dispute an official meant immediate benching and a few well-chosen words of reprimand. Sportsmanship extended to teammates as well. It was unthinkable to ridicule a teammate.”
In 1975, contributions from former athletes and friends were used to establish the Gerry McDonald Award, presented annually to the Marathon student exhibiting in order, “sportsmanship, team effort, dedication and excellence.”
On December 3, 1975 an appreciative community named its new gymnasium “McDonald Gym” in honor of the man who was “teacher, coach, athletic director and friend of the students of Marathon Central for over 30 years.”
UPDATE: McDonald passed away on Jan. 23, 1991 (date not confirmed).
