Bill McCartney, who coached Colorado soccer to its solely nationwide title, dies at 84

Bill McCartney, who coached Colorado to its solely nationwide soccer championship in 1990, has died. He was 84.

McCartney died Friday night “after a brave journey with dementia,” in response to a household assertion. His household introduced in 2016 that he had been recognized with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

“Coach Mac touched numerous lives together with his unwavering religion, boundless compassion, and lasting legacy as a frontrunner, mentor, and supporter of household, neighborhood, and religion,” the household mentioned in its assertion. “As a pioneer and visionary, his influence was felt each on and off the sphere, and his spirit will perpetually stay within the hearts of these he impressed.”

McCartney stays the winningest coach in Colorado historical past, with a report of 93-55-5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

“I’m very saddened by the passing of Coach Mac,” mentioned Colorado athletic director Rick George, who remained lifelong associates with McCartney after hiring George as recruiting coordinator in 1987. “Coach Mac was a unimaginable man who taught me the significance of religion, household and being a very good husband, father and grandfather. He instilled self-discipline and accountability in all of us who labored and performed underneath his management.”

McCartney led Colorado to its finest season in 1990, when the crew completed 11-1-1 and beat Notre Dame within the Orange Bowl to clinch the nationwide title. That season included a victory at Missouri the place the Buffaloes scored the successful landing on a “fifth down” as time expired – one of many greatest blunders in faculty soccer historical past.

The chain crew did not flip the marker from second to 3rd and the officers did not discover. On fourth down – fifth really – Charles Johnson scored to maintain Colorado’s nationwide title hopes afloat. Asked whether or not he would take into account forfeiting the match, McCartney pointed to the poor situation of the pitch and didn’t suppose it was a good check.

McCartney coached in Colorado from 1982 to 1994, retiring early to spend extra time together with his spouse Lyndi, who died in 2013. After his retirement, he labored full time at Promise Keepers, a ministry he began in 1990 after changing from Catholicism and whose ministry The goal is to encourage “pious males”.

As a soccer coach, McCartney’s influence at Colorado was immense. Over the course of six years within the late ’80s and early ’90s, his groups have been a match for the powerhouses of the period. McCartney coached Colorado to 3 Big Eight titles, 10 consecutive successful seasons in league competitors and a 58-29-4 mark in convention play, all nonetheless faculty bests.

His 1989 crew went 11-1 and misplaced to Notre Dame 21-6 within the Orange Bowl. That set the stage for a nationwide title crew that featured quarterbacks Darian Hagan and Charles Johnson, tailback Eric Bieniemy and a stalwart protection that included Alfred Williams, Greg Biekert, Chad Brown and Kanavis McGhee.

Come to consider it, McCartney virtually selected a profession as a basketball coach.

Born in Riverview, Michigan, McCartney performed heart and linebacker on the University of Missouri, the place he met his spouse. He later coached highschool basketball and soccer in Dearborn, Michigan. His groups have been good, too, they usually every captured the state title in 1973.

He caught the eye of Michigan soccer coach Bo Schembechler, who wished McCartney to affix his employees at Michigan. If that wasn’t sufficient, Michigan basketball coach Johnny Orr urged him to affix his employees.

McCartney could not determine. His spouse gave him easy recommendation: comply with his coronary heart.

He entered the world of school soccer.

McCartney realized underneath Schembechler for eight seasons, till the chance to steer his crew arose. When the late Chuck Fairbanks left Colorado to decide to the New Jersey Generals within the nascent United States Football League, McCartney requested Schembechler if the Hall of Fame coach would put in a very good phrase for him.

Schembechler’s help carried loads of weight, and then-Colorado athletic director Eddie Crowder gave McCartney the place.

It was a tough begin for McCartney with solely seven wins in his first three seasons, together with a 1-10 end in 1984. Then issues began to vary.

His ultimate season with the Buffaloes got here in 1994, when the crew completed 11-1 behind a roster that included Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook and the late Rashaan Salaam. That season noticed the “Miracle in Michigan,” with Westbrook catching a 64-yard landing run from Stewart on a Hail Mary as time expired in a Michigan win. Salaam additionally rushed for two,055 yards and gained the Heisman Trophy.

McCartney additionally groomed the following wave of coaches, mentoring assistants equivalent to Gary Barnett, Jim Caldwell, Ron Dickerson, Gerry DiNardo, Karl Dorrell, Jon Embree, Les Miles, Rick Neuheisel, Bob Simmons, Lou Tepper, Ron Vanderlinden and John Wristen.

In latest years, McCartney received to observe his nephew Derek play on the line of defense in Colorado. Derek’s father, Shannon Clavelle, was a defensive lineman at Colorado from 1992 to 1994 earlier than taking part in just a few seasons within the NFL. Derek’s brother, TC McCartney, was a quarterback at LSU and is the son of late Colorado quarterback Sal Aunese, who performed for Bill McCartney in 1987 and ’88 earlier than he was recognized with abdomen most cancers in 1989 and died six months later at age 21.

Growing up, Derek McCartney would go to his grandfather’s home subsequent door to take heed to his tales. He by no means uninterested in them.

Derek absorbed the tales about Salaam successful the Heisman Trophy and the way Colorado beat Notre Dame within the Orange Bowl to solidify the nationwide title. His grandfather had a photograph of the well-known Michigan comedy present and a button to press to listen to the audio of the published.

When he performed for Colorado, hardly a day glided by with out somebody asking Derek if he was by some means associated to the coach.

“I like it when that occurs,” Derek mentioned.

Associated Press reporting.

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