Education and early career
After receiving his BA in education from the University of Missouri in 1962, McCartney was named as an assistant football coach under his older brother, Tom, in the summer of 1965 at Holy Redeemer High School in Detroit, Michigan. The younger McCartney was also the head basketball coach at Redeemer from 1965 to 1969, taking the school to the Detroit City Championship during the 1968–1969 season. McCartney then served as the head football and basketball coach at Divine Child High School in Dearborn, Michigan before becoming the only high school coach ever hired by University of Michigan coaching legend Bo Schembechler.
Head coach at Colorado
After eight years as an assistant at Michigan, McCartney was hired to replace Chuck Fairbanks as head coach at the University of Colorado. In his first season in 1982, the Colorado Buffaloes compiled a record of 2–8–1. After improving to 4–7 in 1983, Colorado sustained a 1–10 campaign in 1984, but McCartney was given a contract extension nonetheless. In his fourth season in 1985, McCartney guided the Buffaloes to a 7–5 record and a berth in the Freedom Bowl, where they lost to the Washington Huskies. In the following season, 1986, McCartney's team earned its first victory over Big Eight Conference powerhouse Nebraska since 1967. After modestly successful seasons in 1987 and 1988, McCartney steered his team toward national prominence.
After the 1988 season, the Buffaloes' star quarterback, Sal Aunese, was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He died in the middle of the 1989 season. Nonetheless, Colorado won all 11 of its regular season games including victories over ranked Washington, Illinois, Nebraska, and Oklahoma teams. The Buffaloes faced Notre Dame on January 1, 1990 in the Orange Bowl, where they lost, 21–6.
Colorado opened the 1990 season ranked fourth with a game against Tennessee in the inaugural Disney Pigskin Classic played in Anaheim, California. The contest ended in a 31–31 tie. A comeback win against Stanford and a one-point loss to Illinois leveled the Buffaloes' record at 1–1–1. Colorado then won the remainder of their regular season games. Their winning streak, highlighted by wins over ranked Washington, Oklahoma, and Nebraska opponents, was not without controversy. In a game against Missouri on October 6, referees mistakenly allowed an extra down on which Colorado scored the wining touchdown as time expired. The game, known as the Fifth Down Game, became one of the most notorious incidents in college football history. Contentions notwithstanding, Colorado rose to #1 in the rankings and once again faced Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. The Buffaloes won a closely played game, 10–9, aided by a controversial clipping call that negated a late punt return touchdown by Rocket Ismail of Notre Dame, and earned a share of the national title. Colorado was voted #1 by in AP Poll while Georgia Tech garnered the top ranking in the Coaches' Poll.
The following year, the Buffaloes tied Nebraska for the Big Eight title and lost to Alabama in the Blockbuster Bowl. In 1992, Colorado finished a 9–2–1 campaign with a loss to Syracuse in the Fiesta Bowl. After two more years, the last an 11–1 season that culminated in a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame, McCartney retired from coaching.
McCartney holds records for the most games coached (153), most wins (93), and most conference wins (58) in the history of the Colorado Buffaloes football program.
Outside of coaching
In 1990, while still head football coach at Colorado, McCartney founded a Christian men's group called Promise Keepers. He later resigned as the head of Promise Keepers and founded an organization called The Road to Jerusalem. In September 2008, McCartney rejoined Promise Keepers as CEO and chairman of the board. He serves on the board of directors of the Equip Foundation, Gospel to the Unreached Millions, and Concerts of Prayer International.
McCartney is the author of five books: From Ashes to Glory (1995), Sold Out (1997), Sold Out Two-Gether (1999), co-authored with his wife, Lyndi McCartney, Blind Spots: What You Don't See May Be Keeping Your Church (2003), and Two Minute Warning: Why Its Time to Honor Jewish People Before the Clock Runs Out (2009) with Aaron Fruh.
Honors
McCartney won a number of national coaching awards in 1989 including the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award. Three times, in 1985, 1989, and 1990, he was named the Big Eight Coach of the Year. McCartney was inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
McCartney has been honored with a number of additional personal awards including: the Impact America Award from Point Loma College in 1995, the Spectrum Award from Sports Spectrum magazine in 1995, ABC News Person of the Week on February 16, 1996, Layperson of the Year from the National Association of Evangelicals in 1996, the Fire-Setters Award from Revival Fires Ministries in 1997, the Evangelist Philip Award from the National Association of United Methodist Evangelists in 1999, and the Humanitarian of the Year from the Syl Morgan Smith Colorado Gospel Music Academy in 1999.
Family
McCartney lives with his wife, Lyndi, in the Denver area. They have four children and ten grandchildren, one of which was fathered by McCartney's former player, Sal Aunese. The McCartneys attend Cornerstone Church in Boulder, Colorado.
