BOULDER, Colo. — Bill McCartney, who led Colorado State to its only national football championship in 1990, has died. He was 84 years old.
The charismatic man known as Coach Mack died Friday night “after a courageous journey with dementia,” according to a statement from his family. His family announced in 2016 that he was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
“Coach Mack touched countless people with his unwavering faith, boundless compassion, and enduring legacy as a leader, mentor, and advocate for family, community, and faith,” his family said in a statement. said. “As a pioneer and visionary, his influence will be felt on and off the field, and his spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those he inspired.”
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.
“We are very sorry to hear of Coach Mack's passing,” said Colorado State Athletic Director Rick George, who McCartney had been a lifelong friend with since McCartney hired George as his recruiting coordinator in 1987. He was a great person who taught me the importance of coaching.” 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. ”
McCartney led Colorado to its best season in 1990, when the team finished 11-1-1 and won the national title by defeating Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. That season included a win at Missouri State, where the Buffaloes scored the winning touchdown on “fifth down” as time expired. This was one of the biggest failures in college football history.
The chain person didn't flip the marker from second to third, but the attendant didn't notice. Charles Johnson scored on fourth down (actually fifth), clinching Colorado's national title hopes. Asked afterwards if he would consider forfeiting the game, McCartney pointed to the poor field conditions and didn't think it was a fair test.
McCartney coached at the University of Colorado from 1982 to 1994, taking early retirement in 2013 to spend more time with his late wife, Lindy. After retiring, he worked full time for Promise Keepers, a ministry he began in 1990 after converting from Catholicism. The purpose is to encourage “godly men.”
The group became a flashpoint in state politics, advocating for rejecting the designation of homosexuals as a “protected class,” a position taken by the group and sparking protests on campus. He resigned as president of Promise Keepers in 2003 due to his wife's health, but returned five years later.
As a football coach, McCartney's influence at Colorado was immeasurable. For six years in the late '80s and early '90s, his teams rivaled the powerhouses of the day. Coach McCartney coached Colorado to three Big 8 titles, 10 consecutive league championship seasons, and a 58-29-4 record in conference play, all still the school's best records.
His 1989 team lost 11-1 to Notre Dame 21-6 in the Orange Bowl. This creates the foundation for a national championship team that features quarterbacks Darian Hagan and Charles Johnson, tailback Eric Bieniemy, and a stout defense that includes Alfred Williams, Greg Biekert, Chad Brown, and Cannabis McGee. is in place.
“He's a Hall of Fame coach, but somehow he's a better human being,” Brown wrote in a post on X. “Coach, I love you!”
In a post about X, Williams added: “His legacy is firmly built on love, character, integrity, hope, and faith. I will always be grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to have him in my life. Thank you to my coach.”
Come to think of it, McCartney almost chose a career as a basketball coach.
Born in Riverview, Michigan, McCartney played center and linebacker at the University of Missouri, where he met his wife. He then coached basketball and football at a high school in Dearborn, Michigan. His teams were also good, each winning a state title in 1973.
He caught the attention of Michigan State football coach Bo Schembechler, who wanted to add McCartney to his staff. If that wasn't enough, University of Michigan basketball coach Johnny Orr encouraged him to join the staff.
McCartney couldn't make up his mind. His wife gave him simple advice to follow his heart.
He entered the world of college football.
McCartney studied under Schembechler for eight seasons before getting the chance to coach his own team. When the late Chuck Fairbanks left Colorado for the upstart New Jersey Generals of the Football League, McCartney asked Schembechler if the Hall of Fame coach had any good words for him.
Schembechler's support was so important that then-Colorado athletic director Eddie Crowder offered McCartney the position.
Things got off to a rough start for McCartney, winning just seven games in his first three seasons, including 1-10 in 1984, but things started to change after that.
His last season with the Buffaloes was in 1994, when the team went 11-1 against a roster that included Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook and the late Rashaan Salaam. This season saw the Michigan Miracle, a road win over the Wolverines, when Westbrook made a Hail Mary 64-yard TD catch from Stewart as time expired. Salaam also won the Heisman Trophy with 2,055 yards rushing.
McCartney also worked with Gary Burnett, Jim Caldwell, Ron Dickerson, Jerry DiNardo, Carl Dorrell, John Embry, Les Miles, Rick Neuheisel, Bob Simmons, Lou Tepper, Ron Vanderlinden, He developed the next generation of coaches, including John Wristen, and mentored assistants.
In recent years, McCartney was able to watch his grandson Derek play on the defensive line at the University of Colorado. Derek's father, Shannon Clavell, was a defensive lineman for Colorado from 1992 to 1994 before playing several seasons in the NFL. Derek's older brother, TC McCartney, is a quarterback at LSU and the son of late Colorado quarterback Sal Aunese. He played for Bill McCartney in 1987 and 1988, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1989, and died six months later at age 21.
As a child, Derek McCartney often went to his grandfather's house next door to listen to his stories. He never got tired of them.
Derek listened to Salaam talk about winning the Heisman Trophy and how Colorado clinched the national title by defeating Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. His grandfather had a photo of a famous play at the University of Michigan and a button to press to hear the audio of the broadcast.
When he played at Colorado, there was hardly a day that someone didn't ask Derek if he had some kind of relationship with the coach.
“I like it when that happens,” Derek said.
