Athletics Hall of Fame
Cleo O'Donnell, head football coach at Saint Anselm, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985. Hired as the head football coach and Director of Athletics at Saint Anselm in 1935, O'Donnell helmed the football team for six seasons from 1935 to 1940.
O'Donnell built a team that seemed virtually unbeatable, defeating powerhouse teams such as Providence, Brooklyn, and Northeastern. The success of his 1938 team was earned through hours of practice under O'Donnell's coaching skills.
In his career, O'Donnell and the Hawks won 27 out of 40 games, losing only 11 and tying two. According to the Boston Globe, O'Donnell raised the profile of Saint Anselm with thanks to ties against the vaunted Crusaders from Holy Cross in 1936 and the Eagles from Boston College in 1938.
