Fred Donnell joined the UCF sports medicine staff in April 2022 and was promoted in summer 2024 to senior associate athletic trainer, primarily working with the football program.
In addition to helping with the daily healthcare of UCF’s football team, Donnell coordinates daily rehabilitation and treatment programs for the student-athletes. He also utilizes sports science analytics, such as Catapult GPS and Hawkin Dynamics Force Plate, to gather data-driven insights on student-athlete return to play progression and overall wellness. Donnell is also responsible for managing UCF’s concussion return-to-play protocol.
Donnell's athletic training experience includes working with collegiate and professional football teams. He was a summer intern for the Tennessee Titans in 2018 and served as a seasonal assistant athletic trainer for the Atlanta Falcons during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Between his time with the Falcons, Donnell worked as a seasonal assistant athletic trainer with the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL.
Before joining UCF, Donnell was an assistant athletic trainer for the football and baseball programs at Coastal Carolina University. During his time there, he helped lead the football program to its first bowl win in FBS history at the 2021 Cure Bowl. At Coastal Carolina, he was responsible for coordinating on-field rehabilitation programs during practice and facilitating comprehensive care for student-athletes alongside team physicians.
Donnell holds a bachelor's degree in exercise science and health promotion from FAU, as well as a master’s in athletic training from the University of South Florida. He is AED/CPR certified and holds CES and PES certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.