BOULDER, Colo. — University of Colorado Buffaloes past and present came together in Boulder on Wednesday to remember legendary football coach Bill McCartney.
McCartney died earlier this month "after a courageous journey with dementia," according to a family statement. His family announced in 2016 that he had been diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's.
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It was a bittersweet morning at the CU Events Center, filled with tears, smiles and stories about the life and legacy of Coach Mac.
"I don't think there exists a metric to measure what he's done for over 300 boys who he turned into men," said Michael Westbrook, CU wide receiver from 1991 through 1994.
"I was around Mack for eight years. He was around me for 40," said former CU head football coach Gary Barnett. "You'd see him in everything that you did."
Coach Mac was hired by CU in 1982. Thirteen years, three Big 8 titles and one national championship later, he left as the winningest coach in CU football history.
"I'm really proud of it because we did something that a lot of people didn't think we could do," said Darian Hagan, CU quarterback from 1988 through 1991.
"1989 on, I don't think there was another head coach in the country that could do — or did do — what he did," said Barnett.
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Buffs Nation remembers legendary football coach Bill McCartney
His former players told Denver7 Sports that Coach Mac loved hard and coached hard.
"I was doing bad in school, and he kicked me right off. He's like, 'Go home until you can figure it out. We've given you every opportunity,'" Westbrook recalled. "And so I came back with a vengeance because, like I said, I'm competitive. Got my grades up, graduated college. [Was a] three-time All-American, fourth pick in the NFL Draft."
"When you invest in your players, when you spend time with them, when you treat them like they're your own kids, that gives you the chance to have the best success. And that's what I learned from Coach Mac," said Jon Embree, CU tight end from 1983 through 1986.
"Every time he would see me, he would always point to me and say, 'You saved my job.' Then I would point to him and I'd smile and I'd say, 'You saved my life,'" said Hagan.
Leaving the ceremony, though there was an air of sadness, there was also an understanding of the positive impact Coach Mac had in Boulder and beyond.
