Caledonia Gladiators is delighted to announce that Donnie MacDonald has been appointed Women’s Head Coach for the 2026-27 season. 

Following last week’s update that Chantelle Handy has decided to step away from coaching, Donnie MacDonald will now step in to coach the professional women’s team with immediate effect, with a busy recruitment period underway.  

Donnie, who has been with the club since 2022, has been heavily involved in the women’s team, particularly within his role as Assistant Coach during the 2024-25 season when Caledonia Gladiators made history for Scottish Basketball as the first women’s team to secure silverware.  

Following his role as Assistant Coach, Donnie has led the development of Caledonia Blues, Caledonia Gladiators’ development team, providing young Scottish players the pathway they need to develop to pro.  

With over 20 years’ experience across national team coaching, player development, high-performance and Commonwealth Games basketball, it only takes a glance at his CV or a five minute conversation to understand Donnie’s deep-rooted commitment to driving women’s basketball forward in Scotland.   

We sat down to talk through the journey so far, what’s shaped his coaching philosophy, and what supporters can expect in this exciting new chapter. 

Let’s start at the beginning – tell us about your journey into sport and basketball. 

“I started my career after studying Sport Science, I originally worked as a fitness coach and even ran a gym back home in Skye. I later studied physiotherapy in Aberdeen and took my first job in Dundee, later moving into lecturing. I was then recruited by Edinburgh Napier University to set up their physiotherapy department – the first of its kind there. 

“Alongside my professional career, I coached at teams including Tayside Musketeers and some university sides, and then in 2019 I took a sabbatical to coach full-time before joining Basketball Scotland in 2021 as National Academy Lead, overseeing national teams and player pathways. 

“On a national level, I was women’s 3×3 Head Coach for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, have led GB Under-16 women’s teams in EuroBasket competitions, including gaining promotion from Division B to Division A in 2024, finishing 14th – the highest placing in programme history.” 

Basketball has clearly been a huge part of your life. How did your love for the sport begin? 

“I played basketball in high school. My PE teacher was really into it and in the early 90s there was a huge basketball culture. It was easy to fall in love with the sport. 

“I then captained my university team as well and basketball quickly became a huge part of my life. 

“Later in life I joined a club in Dundee and ended up taking over as coach. Like many people, I didn’t necessarily plan on coaching – I just stepped into it when there was a gap and loved it. 

“Interestingly, coaching women’s basketball happened almost by accident.” 

What made you stay in the women’s game? 

“I went between local leagues and university women’s teams, and once I got into women’s sport I found it really suited me. 

“There was less ego and players were particularly receptive to learning and developing. My coaching style naturally seemed to fit better. 

“I’ve also always had a big passion for women’s sport generally. My sporting hero when I was young was my older sister Angie, who was a very good footballer. That certainly shaped me and pushed me towards women’s sport.”  

What have you learned from working with young female athletes? 

“In general, they are really receptive to learning new things and appreciative of coaching. A lot of players love the team aspect of basketball, but particularly with young Scottish players, self-confidence can sometimes be a challenge. Part of coaching is helping players realise what they’re capable of.” 

You’ve played a huge role in developing Scottish basketball talent through the Blues programme. How difficult was it to step away? 

“It was certainly difficult – The Blues programme has been something I’ve been hugely passionate about and one of the real highlights of my career. 

“Players like Alix Mcintosh, Kerry McGhee and Emma Kerr have been with us from the beginning, but this season we also saw players like Caoimhe Stupart and Sophie Heron stepping into professional practice and competition environments. 

“Seeing players you’ve known from a young age sharing the floor with professionals – and seeing their growth as people – has been incredibly rewarding. 

“Whilst I won’t be coaching the Blues, I’ll still have oversight and will be ensuring there’s a strong connection between the Pros and Blues. We need young players coming through and stepping in when opportunities arise. 

“My mission has always been to develop Scottish basketball and open doors for young players and that won’t be changing.” 

Was it a difficult decision to take on the head coach role? 

“Not at all. I’ve been coaching for 20 years and opportunities like this don’t come around often. For me, this is the biggest job in British club basketball. We’re incredibly lucky with the facilities and infrastructure that’s already in place, and we now want to take the next step and become the dominant team in British basketball – the stage is set for us to do that. 

“We know where we want to go, and we want to win. The women have had an incredibly positive few years, but next season we want to take a step up and bring home those trophies, ambitions are high across the club and we’re ready for the challenge. 

“I’ve now worked within the club in some capacity for over 4 years covering a variety of roles including Assistant Coach and High-Performance Lead, and so I’m confident and embedded in the culture and what we’re working towards here.“ 

How important will Scottish talent remain moving forward? 

“Very important. Developing Scottish basketball has been central to everything I’ve done, and I’m still committed to that. 

“Whilst international talent will continue to play a huge part in a strong, balanced roster, young Scottish players will have the opportunity to earn their place too. The challenge is creating a team that can win while also continuing to bring new players up with us. 

“We need to continue creating opportunities and making sure talented players have a pathway here. At the same time, we need a team capable of competing and winning at the highest level – that is my job, and my number one priority.” 

What can fans expect from your style as Head Coach? 

“It won’t be dramatically different. Defensively especially, we’re not going to rip up something that’s been successful. I want to build on the great work done by Miguel and Chantelle over the last 4 seasons. 

“I like to think of myself as an adaptable coach, working around players and maximising their strengths. But we’ll also recruit players who fit the style we’ve built over the last few years. 

“Our supporters have come to expect physical basketball, competitiveness and players who play with real drive and energy, and that won’t change.” 

What does the summer look like for you? 

“Busy! Recruitment is already underway behind the scenes and will continue throughout the summer.” 

Finally – what excites you most about this opportunity? 

“The challenge. We want to keep moving forward and take another step next season. 

“We’re building a team who will do everything possible to compete at the highest level and win. That’s what excites me.” 

With Donnie now in place as Head Coach, a busy recruitment period is underway for the women’s team. Follow us on socials to keep up to date with all updates from Caledonia Gladiators during the off-season.