Bill McCartney, the 2013 College Football Hall of Fame coach who headed the Colorado program from 1982 to 1994, passed away Jan. 10 after a long illness in Boulder. He was 84.
The Colorado head coach from 1982-94, Bill McCartney guided the Buffaloes to their first national title and to more bowl games than any other coach in CU football history. He retired as the winningest coach in CU football history with a 93-55-5 record during 13 seasons.
McCartney and the Buffs finished in the Top 20 in each of his last six seasons in Boulder, including the 1990 national crown and back-to-back appearances in the 1989 and 1990 title games. He claimed unanimous 1989 National Coach of the Year honors, and his extraordinary accomplishments include leading the Buffs to nine bowls in 13 seasons and to three Big Eight titles, 1989-90-91. His 198892 teams went 25 consecutive games (23-0-2) without a loss in league play, the fourth-longest streak in conference history.
He coached four players in the College Football Hall of Fame: outside linebacker and Butkus winner Alfred Williams (inducted in 2010), wide receiver Michael Westbrook (2020), the late running back and Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam (2022) and cornerback and Thorpe winner Deon Figures (2024). He also coached Thorpe Award winner Chris Hudson (1994), NFF Campbell Trophy winner Jim Hansen in 1992, and 1987 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Eric McCarty.
The three-time Big Eight Coach of the Year was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, and he was enshrined in CU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he was voted the 1986 FCA’s “Man-ofthe- Year” in Colorado.
