“Will always be a titan of a man”: Joel Klatt pays classy tribute to Colorado Legend Bill McCartney after his death

Former Colorado Buffaloes' head coach Bill McCartney died on Friday in Boulder, Colorado. McCartney had been dealing with dementia and Alzheimer's disease since 2016. He was 84 years old.

Fox analyst Joel Klatt paid tribute to McCartney with a heartfelt tribute following his death. On Saturday, Klatt posted on X, celebrating McCartney as a "titan of a man."

"Coach Mac was and will always be a titan of a man. His love for his savior, his family, and the Buffs were always evident every time I, or others, had the privilege to see him and spend time with him. Those interactions were priceless and always life giving as he poured out the love and mercy of Jesus Christ on those he came in contact with. We will miss you!"

"Well done, Coach Mac, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses you ran the race before you, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith."

---

Bill McCartney led the Colorado Buffaloes during the most successful stretch in the program's history

Bill McCartney coached the Colorado Buffaloes for 13 seasons from 1982 to 1994. While coaching the team, he preceded the most successful three-season stretch in the program's history.

When McCartney took over as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, the team was struggling competitively. As a result, his first three seasons were unremarkable and they only won seven games combined from 1982 to 1984. However, the Buffaloes had their first winning season under McCartney in 1985 and never had another losing season in his tenure.

From 1985 to 1988, the team steadily improved, becoming competitive in the Big Eight Conference. The true breakthrough came in 1989, when Colorado won 11 games and the Big Eight Championship, marking the start of a three-year stretch of unprecedented success.

In 1990, the Buffaloes went 11-1-1 and won the National Championship, still the only one in the program's history. In 1991, while they regressed to an 8-3-1 record, the Buffaloes won the Big Eight Championship again.

Bill McCartney would go on to coach the Buffaloes to three more winning seasons, including an 11-1 year in his final season. However, he would retire from coaching after the 1994 college football season. McCartney was succeeded by Rick Neuheisel.