On Jan. 20, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema named George McDonald assistant head coach and wide receivers coach for the Fighting Illini. McDonald, an Illinois grad, had a near identical position at NC State, but also served as pass game coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

With McDonald’s departure, NC State loses its longest tenured assistant. McDonald was hired by head coach Dave Doeren as wide receivers coach in 2015, eventually working his way up to co-offensive coordinator in 2019. After a disastrous 4-8 campaign in which the offense scored just 22 points a game, McDonald’s role was reduced as Tim Beck was brought in to coordinate the offense.

Three wide receivers who spent time in McDonald’s tutelage eventually made it to the NFL in Kelvin Harmon, Jakobi Meyers and Stephen Louis, as McDonald prioritized pass-catching ability over athleticism as a recruiter. Under McDonald, the wide receiver group was usually one of the strongest position groups on the team, which led to the job security he enjoyed in Raleigh.

So far this is the only coaching loss of the offseason, much quieter than seven swaps done last year. There are currently no indications of who NC State looks to hire as McDonald’s replacement.