Bill McCartney, the Hall of Fame college football coach who led the Colorado Buffaloes to their only national championship in 1990, has died. He was 84 years old.
McCartney, better known to fans as Coach Mac, died Friday, Jan. 10, in Boulder, Colo., “after a courageous journey with dementia,” according to a family statement shared on X.
“Coach Mac touched countless lives with his unwavering faith, boundless compassion and lasting legacy as a leader, mentor and advocate for family, community and faith,” the statement read. “As a pioneer and visionary, his impact was felt both on and off the field, and his spirit will forever live on in the hearts of those he inspired.”
“While we mourn his loss, we also celebrate the extraordinary life he lived and the love he shared with everyone around him,” the statement continued. “We are grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support during this time and ask for privacy as we manage this difficult time.”
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According to the Associated Press, McCartney remains the winningest coach in Colorado history, with a record of 93-55-5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Bill McCartney 1989
Tony Tomsic /Sports Illustrated via Getty
“I am very saddened by the passing of Coach Mac,” said Colorado athletic director Rick George, who remained lifelong friends with McCartney after he hired George as recruiting coordinator in 1987, according to the AP. “Coach Mac was an amazing man who taught me the importance of faith, family and being a good husband, father and grandfather. He instilled discipline and responsibility in all of us who worked and played under his leadership.”
Born in Riverview, Michigan, McCartney played center and guard at the University of Missouri, where he met his future wife, Lyndi. He later coached basketball and football at a high school in Dearborn, Michigan, writes AP.
McCartney’s journey in the world of college football coaching began when he caught the eye of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler, who wanted McCartney to join his staff. Michigan basketball coach Johnny Orr also invited him to join his staff at the time, leaving McCartney torn between two potential jobs.
As he struggled to make a decision, his wife encouraged him to follow his heart, according to the AP, and he ultimately chose college football. McCartney would remain under Schembechler for eight seasons until he had the opportunity to lead his own team.
After Chuck Fairbanks stepped down from his coaching duties in Colorado to pursue a role with the New Jersey Generals, McCartney asked Schembechler to put in a good word for him and he got the job.
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Colorado coach Bill McCartney (left) is escorted off the field after the Buffaloes beat Notre Dame in the 57th annual Orange Bowl Classic in Miami in 1991.
Ray Fairall/ AP Photo
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While McCartney got off to a rough start, with just seven wins in his first three seasons, including 1-10 in 1984, he eventually turned things around.
He is remembered for leading the Colorado Buffaloes during their best season in 1990. That year, the team finished 11-1-1 and defeated Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, winning the national title.
McCartney coached in Colorado from 1982 to 1994, retiring early at age 54 to spend more time with his wife, who later died in 2013. At the time of his retirement, he held an overall record of 93-55-5 ( .602) in 13 seasons, all with Colorado, according to ESPN.
After his coaching career, McCartney worked full-time at Promise Keepers, a Christian men’s ministry he started in 1990 after converting from Catholicism. According to the AP, the group sparked controversy and protests on campus when it advocated unsuccessfully to deny homosexuals the designation of a “protected class.” McCartney stepped down as president of Promise Keepers in 2003 due to his wife’s failing health, but returned five years later.
In 2016, McCartney’s family announced that he had been diagnosed with late-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, ESPN writes.
Talking to USA Today in 2017, McCartney spoke openly about the diagnoses. “I’m still kind of in denial,” he said at the time. “I wonder, ‘Is this really happening to me?’ ”
“No one expects to experience something like this, at least not me,” he added.
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Bill McCartney 2019
David Zalubowski/ AP Photo
He also referred to the important lessons of football.
“That’s what football does: It teaches a boy to be a man,” he said USA Today. “You say, ‘How does it work?’ Well, what if you go up against a guy who’s bigger and stronger than you? You’re going to go up against someone who’s better than you. That’s a knockdown life.”
Following the news of his death, several of McCartney’s former footballers shared tributes on social media.
“Hall of fame coach but a better man and human being in some ways,” former Colorado Buffaloes defensive end Chad Brown wrote in a post on X, adding, “I love you coach!”
“His legacy is firmly built on love, character, integrity, hope and faith,” former Buffaloes defensive end Alfred Williams said in a post on X. “I will always thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to have him in my life. Thank you coach for loving all of us.”
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