Former Lincoln City assistant manager Neil McDonald has rejoined Barrow as joint assistant coach, marking his third spell with the League Two club.
Barrow confirmed that the 60-year-old has returned to Holker Street to work alongside head coach Andy Whing. He will share assistant duties with Craig Pead, replacing Rob Kelly, who recently left to become assistant manager at Reading.
McDonald has previous experience at Barrow across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. He arrives after a recent stint at Hartlepool United as assistant to Simon Grayson.
Speaking to Barrow’s website, McDonald said:
“As soon as I spoke with Andy and Craig, I was impressed by their passion and eagerness to succeed and was a very appealing factor in re joining the club.
“I have been in this week and been very impressed with the standard in training and quality we have in the squad and am very excited for the weekend and what we can achieve together.”
Whing added:
“We are delighted to bring in someone of Neil’s experience to the football club. He has been here before so gets what the football club is about and I am really looking forward to working with Neil and lean on that experience and knowledge.”
A former schoolboy player at Carlisle who later featured for Newcastle United and Everton, McDonald managed Carlisle United in 2006/07, leading them to eighth in League One before departing early the following season.
His managerial and coaching career has since taken him to Ostersunds, Blackpool, Limerick and a long list of backroom roles across the EFL.
His link to us comes from 2007. After leaving Carlisle, McDonald joined the Imps as assistant manager under Peter Jackson. It was a positive period on the pitch. City won eight of 18 league games with Jackson and McDonald together, including a memorable sequence of three consecutive 2-1 victories against Shrewsbury Town, Macclesfield Town and Rotherham United. McDonald left later that season to join Leeds United, with the Imps receiving compensation for his move.
He has since held further assistant roles with Blackpool, Scunthorpe United, Walsall, Swindon Town and Barrow, along with managing Blackpool in the 2015/2016 campaign.
McDonald’s first game back in the Barrow dugout will be Saturday’s trip to Newport County.