DENVER (KDVR) — Invoice McCartney, the College of Colorado Boulder’s head soccer coach from 1982 by way of 1994, lauded as a legendary coach by CU Athletics, died peacefully on Friday, his household and CU Athletics introduced.
McCartney, affectionately generally known as Coach Mac, led the CU Buffaloes to win three consecutive Massive Eight Convention Titles between 1989 and 1991, with the workforce topped as nationwide champions by the Related Press in 1990, a title shared with Georgia Tech. In 2013, McCartney was inducted into the School Soccer Corridor of Fame as a coach.
“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Invoice McCartney, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and good friend, who left this world peacefully on the age of 84 after a brave journey with Dementia,” the McCartney household shared in an announcement.
CU Athletics mentioned he handed peacefully at age 84 after an extended sickness shortly after 9 p.m. Friday night with relations at his aspect.
“Coach Mac touched numerous lives together with his unwavering religion, boundless compassion, and enduring legacy as a pacesetter, mentor, and advocate for household, neighborhood, and religion. As a trailblazer and visionary, his affect was felt each on and off the sector, and his spirit will ceaselessly stay within the hearts of these he impressed,” the household added.
CU Athletics famous that Coach Mac retired because the winningest coach in CU soccer historical past, turning round a soccer program that had received 14 video games over the previous six seasons. CU Athletic Director Rick George employed McCartney in 1987 and has remained life-long mates with him. The pair frolicked with him just lately, CU Athletics mentioned, marking one remaining likelihood to go to with certainly one of his biggest mentors.
“I’m very saddened on the passing of Coach Mac,” George mentioned in a CU Athletics assertion. “I used to be lucky to have the ability to say goodbye to Coach in individual final week. Coach Mac was an unbelievable man who taught me in regards to the significance of religion, household and being a very good husband, father and grandfather. He instilled self-discipline and accountability to all of us who labored and performed underneath his management. The mark that he left on CU soccer and our athletic division will likely be exhausting to copy. My ideas and prayers exit to Mike, Tom, Kristy, Marc and their households. I’ve many fond recollections of Coach Mac and can maintain these near my coronary heart. God bless Coach Mac.”
Of their assertion, the McCartney household mentioned particulars about their father’s memorial service will likely be shared within the coming days.
“Coach Mac deeply believed that investing within the native church was essentially the most impactful technique to remodel a neighborhood. In honor of his legacy, and in lieu of flowers, we invite you to contemplate making a donation—past your common tithes and choices—to an area church in Invoice’s identify,” the household mentioned.
McCartney was 95-55-5 in 13 seasons with the Buffaloes, CU Athletics mentioned, “guiding this system to its first and solely nationwide championship in soccer in 1990, doing so by taking part in the nation’s hardest schedule, simply the second time that feat was ever completed.”
McCartney coached the workforce in 9 bowl video games, which is greater than anybody earlier than and after his time on the faculty. After a 4-16-1 begin in convention video games, the Buffs completed 58-29-4 towards Massive 8 competitors, going 54-13-3 over McCartney’s final 10 seasons.
Mac coached essentially the most video games ever at CU, 153 complete, and his 13-season run as a coach is second solely to Fred Folsom, who had 15 seasons on the “hilltop.”
“He coached 4 gamers within the faculty corridor: exterior linebacker Alfred Williams (inducted in 2010), huge receiver Michael Westbrook (2020), the late working again Rashaan Salaam (2022) and cornerback Deon Figures (2024). Eighteen of his gamers are in CU’s Athletic Corridor of Fame,” CU Athletics mentioned Friday.
In 2013, when he was inducted into the Corridor of Fame as a coach, he credited the recruiting class within the winter of 1983 and the way they recruited “our nice class” in 1987 that made the nationwide championship workforce.
“That’s how I’m within the Corridor of Fame,” he mentioned in 2013. “This implies one thing to the state of Colorado, it’s a part of our historical past. What led us to the nationwide championship is that seven years earlier, the in-state children stayed house.”
Coach Mac was inducted into the Colorado Sports activities Corridor of Fame in 1999 and was enshrined within the CU Athletic Corridor of Fame in 2006.
