He was the first coach to lead Illinois State University to the NCAA post-season national tournament, and he did so for three consecutive seasons.
[3] Donewald's success was parlayed into a student referendum to build a new arena to replace Horton Field House, in use from 1963 to 1988.
[citation needed] Redbird Arena was approved, and was built mostly from student fees collected over the next twenty years.
Donewald began to acquire a national reputation,[citation needed] and in 1982 turned down an opportunity to coach the Wisconsin Badgers.
[9] Donewald today lives with his wife of over 40 years in their Kalamazoo home, where he does consulting work for several college and pro teams.