Former Asst Coach Bill McCartney possible Colorado Coach

Submitted by StephenRKass on

ESPN is reporting that Bill McCartney, former assistant coach under Bo and out of coaching since 1994, is potentially interested in the coaching vacancy at Colorado. The Buffs won their only National Championship under McCartney, partially with the infamous 5th Down vs. Missouri. 1994 also was the most painful Michigan loss I witnessed, with the Kordell Stewart 64 yd TD pass to end the game. It would be interesting to see if this happens . . . at 70 years of age, Bill McCartney seems a bit long in the tooth. But then, I guess if Joe Paterno is still coaching, anything can happen.

MH20

November 10th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^

If Bill Snyder can come back to K-State at age 69 (and do pretty well -- certainly better than Ron Prince), why can't McCartney come back to CU at age 70?

TrppWlbrnID

November 10th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^

rebuilding a program from the bottom up as they enter a new conference with a different recruiting geography will require lots of energy.  i can see this fitting very well.  as an AD, maybe, but it seems like someone fresher will be a better face for the program.  whoever this year's skip holtz is would be my guess.

JClay

November 10th, 2010 at 12:56 PM ^

Bill Snyder was out of coaching for a fraction of the time McCartney has been. Recruits were two years old the cast time McCartney coached a game. Seems a stretch.

markusr2007

November 10th, 2010 at 1:00 PM ^

In the fourth year (1985), McCartney spoke and Colorado's football program rose from the dead that was the Bill Mallory/Chuck Fairbanks era:

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/Playoffs Coaches# AP°
Colorado Buffaloes (Big Eight Conference) (1982–1994)
1982 Colorado 2–8–1 1–5–1 T–6th      
1983 Colorado 4–7 2–5 T–6th      
1984 Colorado 1–10 1–6 7th      
1985 Colorado 7–5 4–3 T–3rd L Freedom    
1986 Colorado 6–6 6–1 2nd L Bluebonnet    
1987 Colorado 7–4 4–3 4th      
1988 Colorado 8–4 4–3 4th L Freedom    
1989 Colorado 11–1 7–0 1st L Orange 4 4
1990 Colorado 11–1–1 7–0 1st W Orange 2 1
1991 Colorado 8–3–1 6–0–1 T–1st L Blockbuster 20 20
1992 Colorado 9–2–1 5–1–1 2nd L Fiesta 13 13
1993 Colorado 8–3–1 5–1–1 2nd W Aloha 16 16
1994 Colorado 11–1 6–1 2nd W Fiesta 3 3
Colorado: 93–55–5 58–29–4  
Total: 93–55–5  
      National Championship         Conference Title         Conference Division Title
#Rankings from final Coaches' Poll.

°Rankings from final AP Poll.

3-6 in bowls.  Hmph, just like Bo.

Roy D Hibble

November 10th, 2010 at 1:03 PM ^

He can keep his daughter away from the locker room this time around. Last time, she got around so much she could probably field her own offense with former CU players' childrens.

MGoCards

November 10th, 2010 at 1:20 PM ^

Oh come on. I made a "Bill McCartney's daughter" joke in another thread so I'm a little defensive. But you don't think it's even a little jokeworthy? This guy is the founder of the Promise Keepers, for chrissakes, and his daughter was involved in secret affairs with at least two of his players. I don't mean to "slut shame" his daughter per se, but for a guy whose whole public life has been about extolling a regressive family model in alignment with a fiercely anti-feminist social organization, it's a little funny that his own family life (and football program) seems to fall way outside the model he preaches. 

MGoCards

November 10th, 2010 at 4:05 PM ^

I also hope my kids never do anything to embarrass me. But if I happen to be a public figure at the time and telling other people how to raise their families then I'd have to expect that my family's issues would rise to a joke, especially among those who I'd attacked in the past. 

mgoblue0970

November 10th, 2010 at 4:29 PM ^

I think the juxtaposition between someone lecturing others how to live while not being able to manage his own house is the point here... albeit made in a crass way.

It’s NOT like Mac started PK as “lessons learned” from his own house.  I’ve been to a PK retreat.  One.  Like I mentioned earlier, it’s a cult; part Tammy Faye Bakker and part Amway.  It has nothing to do with Scripture nor fellowship nor values.  It’s solely based upon control.

Nevertheless, the proportion of kids being wild to how strict or sheltered they were raised in not a new dilemma.  I bet many of us have preacher's daughter tales from undergrad days... mostly freshman year.

I'm not taking sides between you or MGoCards/Hibble but one thing you have to consider between your kid doing something embarrassing and others is if that other person is a public figure or not.  I'm not saying it's right but when people look for notoriety or fame, they are going to be under more of a microscope these days.

Steve in PA

November 10th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^

Well, love child #1 was or is still a Qb at LSU.  Don't know if he graduated, I just remember Les Miles recruited his dad to Colorado and then let Jr play for LSU.  I'm not sure where love child #2 wound up, but if #1 is a Sr, then #2 could be a sophomore.

I'm not going to condemn Mac for starting his organization.  I certainly try to teach my kids right and wrong, but in the end it's their decision what they do.  Mac started his organization as a result of not living up to what his ideals were and walked away from coaching to do that.  How many of us would walk away from a good gig to pursue less lucrative interests on moral principle alone?

If he comes back, that's great.  But, I would have to think there's better candidates out there.

mgoblue0970

November 10th, 2010 at 4:33 PM ^

Like the Freep, I avoid the Post... Kizsla and Paige are the Rocky Mountain version of Sharp and Rosenberg.  For all four of those douchebags, their primary job is ratings.  Everything else takes a back seat -- I don't beleive a word that comes out of their mouths.

For them to say that McCartney is a candidate in the first place is ridiculous.

For starters, McCartney has fallen off the deep end.  There's nothing wrong with religion but I had a couple of friends from church talk me in to going to a Promise Keepers retreat.  That organization is a cult and a misogynistic one at that.  Sure, if you look at their charter on paper, you'd think what's wrong with this.  Until you experience how they warp and twist words from Scripture to justify their views.  They run their big meetings like revivals and get everyone more worked up than an Amway retreat -- to keep the pocketbooks wide open and dollars flowing in from feeling sooooo good about what they have to offer.

I bring this up because there is no way in hell the community is going to accept McCartney coming back.  For as whacked as McCartney is to the right, the greater Boulder community is just as whacked to the left.  It's not going to mesh well.

Why is this important?  Because Boulder hates the football team right now.  From how poorly Elizabeth Hoffman handled scandals to the PC crowd still being pissed over Katie Hnida, those hippies a lot of disdain for many things at CU.  That school eats its own. 

Which is unfortunate.  Colorado should have a top program and a highly ranked recruiting class every year... It has everything a young man wants, lots of pretty girls (imported from SoCal and Arizona), beautiful campus, lots of shit to do, decent academics, (well, better than Sparty), and where else can you comfortably golf and ski in the same day? 

CU's long term problem is stability and its relationship with the community.  There's no marketing or corporate support either.  McCartney may be a Michigan Man but his politics has transformed him into a polarizing person and for that alone, even if he was the greatest football coach ever, should keep him off any short lists of potential hires for CU.

lilpenny1316

November 10th, 2010 at 1:30 PM ^

...chant for a few weeks.  I guess I can do that now.

I do wonder if that could put Moeller on the short list of assistant coaches on McCartney's staff, it this does happen.

Ben from SF

November 10th, 2010 at 1:35 PM ^

The only reason why McCartney is being considered by CU is cost.  He is getting a pension from the school anyways, they probably would not have to pay him anything on top of that.

However, I suspect the Les Miles rumor has legs if CU can find a whiteknight for Les' LSU buyout.