‘An Ordinary Man with an Extraordinary God’: Hundreds Honor Promise Keepers Founder Coach McCartney

Faith, family, and football highlighted the celebration of life for Promise Keepers Founder and University of Colorado Head Football Coach Bill McCartney, who inspired millions of men and women around the world to pursue the Lord Jesus Christ with Godly character among brothers and accountability for their marriages.

Former and current CU players, pastors, and men who attended PK stadium events around the country remembered – along with McCartney family members – the Godly legacy of the father, grandfather, coach, mentor, and leader in Boulder, Colorado.

“My dad described himself as an ordinary man with an extraordinary God,” Tom McCartney told hundreds of men and women who honored his father, who was dubbed “Coach Mac,” at the CU arena where PK sprang up 25 years ago. 

A faith leader who modeled racial reconciliation, McCartney’s success at uniting brothers was evident at the memorial where Black men and women, white men and their wives, and Messianic Jewish believers honored the legend on and off the field.

As CU’s football coach for 13 seasons, McCartney led the Buffaloes to a national championship in 1990 and three Big Eight Conference titles from 1989 to 1991. He was honored with multiple Coach of the Year awards in 1989.

In 2013, McCartney was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his contributions to athletes and the sport.

Marc McCartney credits his father for extending their family to many Black football players who came to predominantly White Boulder.

“I love that my dad always called it the Colorado football family in an era when people called it Buff Nation. He’d always say, ‘No, we’re a family,'” Marc McCartney said. “He was a father to many – not just to our family.”

Marc said his father prayed daily for the entire “family” until Jan. 10 when at age 84 the beloved Christian leader received his heavenly rewards in glory.

A senior captain of the championship team that won the Big Eight Title in 1989 and a chaplain to sports today, Mike Jones remembers more than McCartney’s football success.

“I’m here to memorialize the Christian coach, husband, and father because that permeated Colorado football at a time when it wasn’t popular to wear your faith on your sleeve. But Coach Mac was so willing to put that on the line, and he did it wonderfully,” said Jones.

He said any attempt to fully understand “Coach Mac” apart from “the crimson thread that was dipped in the fount on Calvary” – referring to Jesus’ sacrifice of blood to atone for mankind’s sins – was incomplete. 

“He allowed that to become the fabric of our DNA as young men,” Jones said.

Calling McCartney a best friend, Pastor, and Ministry Leader Dr. Raleigh Washington said his white brother was himself “coached by Jesus” in inspiring men to greatness in life, marriage, family, and vocation. 

He told the following story that captured the heart of McCartney for Jesus and unity among believers from every race of background. 

As ministers of racial reconciliation, McCartney and Washington traveled to South Africa two years after a system called apartheid – a version of racial discrimination and segregation – ended in the predominantly white nation. 

There they met a faith leader shepherding two churches, Pastor Nick Masupi, a Black South African. McCartney was the featured guest speaker at Pastor Masupi’s two churches on Sunday morning and, after worship, Washington was picked to minister to believers.

“As he was about to be introduced, Mac said, ‘Raleigh you preach; the Spirit of the Lord just told me I’m to wash the pastor’s feet,” Washington recalled.

McCartney got a pail of water and a towel, sat Pastor Masupi down, and began to wash his feet, all the while telling him he was a great man of God. As McCartney washed the pastor’s feet, he bowed down and kissed them. 

“I cannot explain to you what happened in that church; it was electrifying. There were tears of joy as they looked on their Black pastor and a white leader from America on his knees washing and kissing feet,” recounted Washington.

He left South Africa and, within a couple of days, a Promise Keeper staff leader there called to inform Washington that Pastor Masupi was killed instantly in an automobile accident the day after McCartney washed his feet. The church’s last photograph of Pastor Masupi includes McCartney washing and kissing their leader’s feet.

“Their lives and hearts were healed because, when ‘Coach’ heard the Spirit of the Living God, he obeyed without hesitation,” Washington said.

In addition to Promise Keepers, McCartney – after leading a gathering of 40,000 men in Atlanta – felt led by the Holy Spirit to form Road to Jerusalem, a second ministry.

Its inspiration resulted from Jewish rabbis attending the conference. They told McCartney that Messianic believers in Jesus felt left out of reconciliation-ministry efforts.

A Messianic believer in Jesus, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis recalled how together McCartney and Washington began reaching his community.

“After reading the Scriptures and discovering Jesus and his disciples were Jewish, Coach Mac and Raleigh dedicated 20 years of time and energy to being a blessing to Israel, to Jewish people and to Messianic believers in Jesus,” Bernis said, before speaking a blessing in Hebrew over the diverse crown.

“Coach Mac” was married to Lynne “Lyndi” Taussig for 50 years until her passing in 2013. He is survived by four adult children Michael, Thomas, Kristyn and Marc, 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Born Aug. 22, 1940, in Michigan, McCartney was athletic from a young age, earning five letters in football, basketball, and baseball during high school. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in education.

Initially a high school football and basketball coach, McCartney later joined the University of Michigan coaching staff under Bo Schembechler, eventually serving as defensive coordinator.