‘Grant is a school of champions.’ And Generals land a champion coach in Dondrale Campbell, a lifelong friend of Damian Lillard

By Bob Lundeberg | Photo by Taylor Balkom 

When the Grant head boys basketball coaching position opened at the end of May, Dondrale Campbell didn’t feel like applying. 

Campbell, who guided Cleveland to the program’s first PIL title and state tournament appearance in 60 years last winter, had previously pursued new opportunities at Tualatin and West Linn, but didn’t land either job. With summer basketball heating up, Campbell wanted to focus on preparing the Warriors for another deep postseason run.

Eventually, Grant athletic director Odie Hollingshed convinced Campbell to throw his hat in the ring. The interview process went well, and Campbell officially accepted the job Monday morning. 

“Grant is a school of champions,” said Campbell, a two-time PIL coach of the year. “They’ve got a lot of athletics championship banners and it’s a great community over there. They are very passionate about basketball and I have a good relationship with (Hollingshed).

“Knowing the type of talent that flows through there, I see this as an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Campbell, an Oakland native and lifelong friend of Blazers star Damian Lillard, took over the Cleveland program in 2017 after spending two years as an assistant at Lake Oswego. He went 68-53 in five seasons at the helm, including a 22-6 mark in 2021-22. The Warriors won the PIL title outright for the first time since 1962 and made it all the way to the state quarterfinals.

Hollingshed was a physical education teacher and boys golf coach at Cleveland before moving over to Grant last summer. Hollingshed asked Campbell to consider switching PIL posts.

“Initially, I really wasn’t on board,” Campbell said. “It’s the same league, and I’m a loyal person. I felt very committed not only to the community at Cleveland, but also to the returning players.”

After talking it over with his family, Campbell opted to interview. He made a point to keep the Cleveland players in the loop and let them know that he’d always be there for them, regardless of where he’s coaching.

Campbell said he interviewed three or four weeks ago, but asked for extra time to make a decision. Hollingshed obliged, and Campbell thought long and hard before taking the job.

“I talked to the players’ families about how I felt, I talked to my family, I prayed and I took some time to clear my head,” Campbell said. “If I wanted to challenge myself and move on, why not now?”

Campbell is replacing Robert Key, who went 142-65 in eight seasons with the Generals before leaving for West Linn. Key, another close friend of Campbell’s, guided Grant to the 2018 state championship. 

The Generals went 19-6 last season and reached the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs.

“Dondrale and his family are excited to work within the Grant community,” Hollingshed said in a press release. “(They) look forward to building on the rich tradition of Grant boys basketball while strengthening partnerships within the community.”

While eager to begin his new journey, Campbell acknowledged that he’s still feeling the sting of leaving Cleveland behind.

“Those people are just amazing,” Campbell said. “I don’t look forward to playing against them. They were great to me and allowed me to grow as a young coach and a young man, and I’m very thankful to them. I can’t say thank you enough to those administrators, staff members and families.”

Just like his first head coaching job at Cleveland, Campbell plans to play the long game with the Generals.

PIL player of the year Adrian Mosely followed Key to West Linn, but Vashon Hardges and Charlie Kapranos headline a talented group of returning players. Campbell believes there is enough depth to compete immediately while laying the foundation for the future from the youth programs to varsity.

“My expectation is not to necessarily go out and win anything or put that type of pressure on myself or the kids, but really it’s about having fun and figuring ourselves out,” Campbell said. “That first year is usually the toughest, and I anticipate it being a process where we all have to learn new things, get comfortable and figure out where we can take things. … After that, we can hit the ground running, and the sky is the limit at Grant.”