• Served as the Golden Bears head football coach for 18 seasons (1971-82) and (1984-90).
• Garnered the most wins of any Golden Bear football coach with a record of 89 wins, 69 losses, and 3 ties.
• Under his leadership, the Golden Bears football team participated in four Vanier Cup games (1971, 1972, 1980, and 1981), winning in 1972 and 1980.
• Made significant contributions to amateur football coaching certification and administration at both the provincial and national levels.
• Following his retirement from the University of Alberta in 1993, he served as the head of the Western Junior Hockey League's Educational Advisory Program.

Jim Donlevy (BPE B Ed '61, MA 75) was born in the Peace River District town of McLennan, Alberta. He attended St. Joseph's High School in Edmonton where he earned a reputation as a tenacious basketball and football player. That experience grew into a life-long love affair with sport in general and football in particular. His coaching career began in Bantam and continued for 35 years, touching every level of the game. In three seasons as an assistant with the Edmonton Huskies, he contributed to a league championship, and two Canadian titles (1962 and 1963).

Following graduation he taught, coached, and served as physical education consultant with the Edmonton Catholic School Board before accepting an academic appointment to the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation in 1970.

His 26 year association with Golden Bear football began as an assistant in 1965 under Gino Fracas. Over the next five seasons the Beam advanced to the national championship twice, winning the Vanier Cup in 1967. He was named head coach in 1971, and over the next decade led Alberta to the College Bowl four times, 1971, 1972, 1980, and 1981, winning the Vanier Cup in 1972 and 1980. His tenure with the Bears was interrupted for two seasons while he was seconded to serve as Mayor of the Athletes' Village of the World University Games, held in Edmonton in 1983. He returned to the head coaching job in 1984 for seven more seasons, before stepping down after the 1990 season. During his l8 years as head coach he posted an impressive 89 wins, 69 losses, and 3 tie record. While coaching he also carried teaching and administrative responsibilities. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1976.

Aside from his contributions through coaching, Jim Donlevy worked tirelessly with provincial and national football governing bodies He served as president of the Alberta Football Coaches Association, Football Alberta and the Canadian University Football Coaches Association. Nationally, he played a leading role in writing and editing the Canadian Coaching Association football certification manuals and in presentations on all phases of the game at clinics across the country. In 1991 he was named Football Commissioner of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association.

He moved to the Registrar's Office to work in school liaison in 1991. Following retirement in 1993 he has put a lifetime of teaching and coaching to work in designing and operating an educational advisory program for the Western Hockey League. Jim Donlevy's dedication to his work as a teacher and coach has benefited two generations of young Albertans, and enhanced the reputation of this university as a place where excellence is the standard in teaching research and sports. He stands as a model of unselfish professionalism.