Donnie Donaldson enters his first year as Head Coach of the Pirates. Prior to taking the helm of the Pirates softball program, Donnie was a long time high school and travel ball coach. He served the last 5 years at Waterford High School, leading the Wildcats to playoffs every season. Prior to leading the Wildcats, Donnie spent 8 years leading the Ceres Bulldog softball program. He won coach of the year in two leagues during his tenure. Once in the VOL in 2009 and again in the WAC in 2013. Ceres won league titles twice during his tenure at Ceres and qualified for playoffs in seven of his eight seasons with the Bulldogs.  

Donnie started a local travel ball organization in 2005 when he noticed several local talented softball players couldn't afford the fees required of big name travel ball organizations. Using fundraising, donations, and many hours of parent volunteering and small fundraising Tri County Smash was born and has competed all over the United States, claiming as high as 4th place nationally. Players are currently competing all over the nation that once wore a Smash jersey.

Donnie graduated from California State University Stanislaus in 1993 with a BA in Biological Science. Prior to CSU Stanislaus, Donnie played football at Washburn University in Topeka, KS as a quarterback in 1991. A former Merced Bluedevil in 1989 and 1990, Donnie helped lead a team to a national rank of 7 during his time there.

Donnie currently lives in Ceres, California with wife Rebecca Donaldson and Daughter Alyssa(18), a former SAL Offensive Player of the Year and MJC student/player, while other daughter, Kaytlin (20) plays softball for Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was VOL Pitcher of the year while attending Ceres as well as SAL Player of the year after transferring to Waterford HS.  Daughter Kaycee (25), has two children and was a former VOL pitcher of the year. Son Brian (28) has two sons and played baseball at Central Valley High School in Ceres.

Donnie is a biology teacher as well as an Anatomy and Physiology teacher at Johansen High School. In his 23 years of teaching, Donnie has coached football, baseball, basketball and softball helping lead several of the teams to the playoffs.

 Donnie, "I couldn't be more excited to be part of the Pirate family and take on the challenge of coaching the Pirates. It is truly a dream come true to be coaching at the college level and be able to continue to help players achieve their goals."