Bill McCartney was a longtime football coach for the Colorado Buffaloes, leading the team to three straight Big Eight Conference titles, while forming the Promise Keepers ministry at the same time.
- Died: January 10, 2025 (Who else died on January 10?)
- Details of death: Died in Boulder, Colorado after a short illness at the age of 84.
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Bill McCartney’s legacy
McCartney is remembered by many appreciators for not one, but two reasons: first, as the championship-winning coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, and then as the founder of the Christian organization the Promise Keepers.
McCartney first took prominence as a coach at the high school level, leading teams at Divine Child High School in Dearborn, Michigan to two football championships and another in basketball. His success led to a job at the University of Michigan as a defensive coach.
In 1982, McCartney took on the assignment that would secure his place in college sports history: head coach of the University of Colorado Boulder football team, the Colorado Buffaloes. He did not get off to a promising start, with three straight losing years to open his career there. In those early years, he stirred up controversy (and a lawsuit by the ACLU) by organizing religious activities with students.
But success both on the field and in promoting his religious ideals soon followed. The Buffaloes started winning, capped off by a three-year run from 1988 to 1990 during which they won three straight Big Eight Conference titles, taking the national championship in 1990. He was Big Eight Coach of the Year in two of those seasons, having also received that honor in 1985. In 1989, he racked up multiple awards for his work: AFCA Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award, and the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award.
Around this same time, McCartney formed the Promise Keepers, an evangelical Christian organization focused on ministering to young men. The group garnered national attention, culminating in the 1997 Stand in the Gap: A Sacred Assembly of Men event in Washington D.C. The gathering brought more than 600,000 attendees to the National Mall.
Under McCartney’s leadership, the organization preached in favor of chastity, personal responsibility, and for men to be the head of the household. The Promise Keepers also preached against same sex marriage, with McCartney declaring that “homosexuality is an abomination of Almighty God.” He later apologized for the comment.
McCartney retired from coaching in 1994, leaving behind a 93–55–5 record at UC.
Tributes to Bill McCartney
Full obituary: The Denver Post
