"Rest in peace": Deion Sanders mourns the death of Colorado legend Bill McCartney after he passes away at 84

Former Colorado football coach Bill McCartney passed away Friday night "after a courageous journey with dementia," his family said in a statement.

The Buffs's current coach, Deion Sanders, paid his respects to the greatest coach in the program's history in an Instagram post Saturday evening.

"Rest In Peace," Sanders captioned the post.

Within the three-slide post, Coach Prime wrote, "Coach Mac was an absolute legend on and off the field. He took CU to the top of college football and he is fully ingrained in every fiber of the history of this program. I first knew of his impact becoming close with several former Buffs throughout my NFL career."

McCartney's family's statement helped illustrate his impact on the many he coached during his illustrious career.

"Coach Mac touched countless lives with his unwavering faith, boundless compassion, and enduring legacy as a leader, mentor and advocate for family, community and faith," his family said. "As a trailblazer and visionary, his impact was felt both on and off the field, and his spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those he inspired."

Bill McCartney played college football in Missouri before starting his coaching career at the high school level in Detroit. He later joined Bo Schembechler's staff at the University of Michigan, the only prep coach ever hired by Schembechler's Wolverines, and was a defensive coordinator there for a period of time.

Bill McCartney and his time in Boulder

By 1982, Bill McCartney had taken over the Colorado Buffaloes, a team that had gone 7-26 the three years before he arrived. It took him some time, but he eventually turned the team around and brought it to bowl games in nine of ten seasons beginning in 1985. His implementation of a wishbone offense was a driving force behind his success.

Colorado started 1989 11-0 but was beaten by Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. Still, Bill McCartney garnered multiple Coach of the Year awards for his team's success. He was the Big Eight's Coach of the Year in 1985 and 1990.

The Buffaloes — who fielded passers Darian Hagan and Charles Johnson, running back Eric Bieniemy, and a strong defensive unit — ended up squaring off with the Fighting Irish again and earned a national title with a win.

From 1989 to 1994, McCartney's Colorado squads went a combined 58-11-4, finishing in the Associated Press poll's top 20 each time. He helped develop assistants like Gary Barnett, Jim Caldwell, and Rick Neuheisel.