Bill McCartney, Who Coached the Colorado Buffaloes During Their Best Season in 1990, Dies at 84

Bill McCartney, the Hall of Fame college football coach who led the Colorado Buffaloes to their only national championship title in 1990, has died. He was 84.

McCartney, better known to fans as Coach Mac, died on 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 enduring legacy as a leader, mentor and advocate for family, community and faith,” the statement said. “As a trailblazer and visionary, his impact was felt both on and off the field, and his spirit will forever remain 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 navigate this difficult moment.”

Per 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.

“I am very saddened at the passing of Coach Mac,” said Colorado athletic director Rick George, who remained lifelong friends with McCartney after he hired George in the role of recruiting coordinator back in 1987, per the AP. “Coach Mac was an incredible man who taught me about the importance of faith, family and being a good husband, father and grandfather. He instilled discipline and accountability to all of us who worked and played under his leadership.”

Born in Riverview, Mich., McCartney played center and linebacker at the University of Missouri, where he met his future wife, Lyndi. He later coached basketball and football at a high school in Dearborn, Mich., per the AP.

McCartney’s journey in the world of coaching college football 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 urged him to join his staff at the time, leaving McCartney torn between the 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 the tutelage of Schembechler for eight seasons until an opportunity arose for him to lead his own team. 

After Chuck Fairbanks stepped down from his Colorado coaching duties to pursue a role with the New Jersey Generals, McCartney asked Schembechler to put in a good word for him and he landed the job.

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While McCartney got off to a rough start, with only seven wins in his first three seasons, including a 1-10 finish 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 beat Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, nabbing the national title. 

McCartney coached at Colorado from 1982 to 1994, retiring early at the age of 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, per ESPN.

Following his coaching career, McCartney worked full time at Promise Keepers, a Christian men’s ministry he started in 1990 after converting from Catholicism. Per the AP, the group sparked controversy and on-campus protests when it unsuccessfully advocated that gay people be denied the designation of “protected class.” McCartney stepped down as Promise Keepers’ president in 2003 due to his wife’s declining health but returned five years later.

In 2016, McCartney’s family announced that he had been diagnosed with late-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s, per ESPN.

Speaking with USA Today in 2017, McCartney opened up about the diagnoses. “I’m still in denial a little bit,” he said at the time. “I’m going, ‘Is this really happening to me?’ ”

“Nobody expects to experience something like this, at least I didn’t,” he added.

He also reflected on the important lessons of football.

“Here’s what football does: It teaches a boy to be a man,” he told USA Today. “You say, ‘How does it do that?’ Well, what if you line up across from a guy who’s bigger, stronger, faster and tougher than you are? What do you do? Do you stay and play? Or do you turn and run? That’s what football does. You’re always going to come up against somebody who’s better than you are. That’s what life is. Life is getting knocked down and getting back up and getting back in the game.”

Following the news of his death, several of McCartney’s former football players shared tributes on social media.

“A hall of fame coach but somehow a better man and human being,” former Colorado Buffaloes defense player Chad Brown wrote in a post on X, adding, “Love you Coach!”

“His legacy is firmly built on love, character, integrity, hope and faith,” said former Buffaloes defensive player Alfred Williams 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 on all of us.”