Sean Donahue completed his third season as an assistant coach after joining the Eagles in March of 2022.
In 2023, Donahue helped to direct FGCU to its championship-winning season at 12-5-5 overall and 7-1-3 in the ASUN, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. In the ASUN Championship match, FGCU faced a daunting three-goal deficit against North Alabama, but sophomore Erika Zschuppe exploded for a hat trick to send the contest to overtime. The Eagles completed the thrilling come-from-behind win, advancing 3-2 on penalty kicks, to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history. FGCU held second-seeded Texas Tech scoreless for nearly 80 minutes in the NCAA First Round before falling 1-0. The Eagles landed on SportsCenter Top 10 not once but three times in 2023. Freshman goalkeeper Olivia Molina broke the FGCU single-season save record with a program-record 117 saves. Head coach Jim Blankenship recorded his 200th win at FGCU and now has emerged as the eighth active winningest coach in all of Division I women's soccer. Four Eagles earned First Team All-ASUN honors as midfielder Ashley Labbe, midfielder Zschuppe, defender Reese Mendenhall and midfielder Kendal Gargiula made the list. Midfielder Katharina Oelschlaeger landed on the Third Team, and goalkeeper Olivia Molina appeared on the All-Freshman Team. Both Zschuppe and Molina made the TopDrawerSoccer’s Top 100 list, while Labbe earned United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Third Team honors and Scholar All-South Region recognition.
In 2022, Donahue directed FGCU to upset win over the No. 1 overall seed Liberty in the ASUN Tournament, advancing on penalty kicks (4-3) to punch its ticket to the Dig Dance for the first time since 2017. The title marked the seventh ASUN Tournament title in program history. The Eagles posted a 12-6-2 record and an 8-1-1 mark in the ASUN Conference, including four clean sheets in conference play.
Donahue help coach Blankenship achieved another milestone in 2022 by recording his 100th career ASUN win against Stetson. Other season highlights included Leah Scarpelli landing SportsCenter’s No. 1 play with a perfect strike from midfield in a 1-0 road victory at Queens (N.C.). Nine Eagles were named All-ASUN, highlighted by the Defensive Player of the Year Scarpelli and the Freshman of the Year Erika Zschuppe. Louise Lillback earned ASUN All-Academic Team honors. A trio of Eagles (Scarpelli, Lillback and Ashley Labbe) were named United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Americans. Scarpelli also earned All-American honors by College Soccer News. Both Scarpelli and Lillback signed professional contracts overseas at season’s end.
Donahue was an assistant coach with the UNCW from 2018-21 where he worked closely with the goalkeepers, a role he will continue with at FGCU.
In his time in Wilmington, the Seahawks qualified for the Colonial Athletic Association tournament in each of the last three seasons, including a berth in the 2021 championship game. UNCW also authored a 37-19-3 record during Donahue's time, including the 2021 CAA regular-season title.
In addition, Donahue worked with the CAA's Goalkeeper of the Year in two of the last three seasons. After Sydney Schneider won the inaugural award in 2019, Blair Barefoot was named the league's top netminder following the spring 2021 campaign. This past fall, he worked with Kaylie Bierman who was top 50 in the nation in goals allowed per game at 0.82 while also being 20th in the NCAA with a .845 save percentage.
While living in North Carolina, he was also the assistant goalkeeping director for the Wilmington Hammerheads ECNL club from 2018-22.
Before his time with the Seahawks, Donahue spent two years with fellow ASUN Jacksonville State from 2016-18 as a graduate assistant, while the Gamecocks were in the OVC. While at JSU, he worked with Caroline Robinson, helping to turn her into one of the top goalkeepers in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Donahue is a 2016 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in physics and mathematics as a National Merit Scholar.
A native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he was a three-year starter at West Forsyth High School, Donahue earned All-Conference and All-Region distinction three times and was an honorable mention All-State selection in 2011. He was also a product of the North Carolina Fusion, one of the top clubs in the state.
