Paul O'Donnell has been a Red Bulls Academy Coach since 2002. Last season, O'Donnell guided the U18s to second place in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the United States Development Academy, losing to eventual national champion Baltimore Bays. Two players from the U18s were selected to the inaugural United States Development Academy Starting Eleven: Matt Kassel and Cesar Blacido. In 2007, he led the U20s to the Semifinals of the Super 20 North American Championship and the U18 squad was named Region I Premier League and New Jersey State Cup Champions. In 2006, as U17 coach, his team was the first Red Bulls Academy Team to win a New Jersey State Championship. In 2005, he led the U16s to a Super-Y League North American Championship. which was the first National or North American Championship for the organization.
Aside from his duties with the Red Bulls, O'Donnell was an assistant coach at Iona College from 2003-05. He joined Iona after spending eight years as the head soccer coach at Kinnelon High School in New Jersey. O'Donnell, who possesses a USSF "A" License, is a 1995 graduate of Columbia University, where he was a four-year varsity letterman and three-time All Ivy selection for the Lions. After college, O'Donnell spent a brief stint in his native Scotland with Greenock Morton FC of the Scottish First Division and also played for the North Jersey Imperials of the United Soccer League for five seasons.