Bill McCartney
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William Paul McCartney (born August 22, 1940 in Riverview,Michigan) is the founder and former president of the international men’s ministry known as the Promise Keepers and was the voice of the radio program 4th and Goal from 2000–2002. Currently he is the founder and chairman of Road to Jerusalem ministry. He has a BA in education from the University of Missouri (1962) and is author of 4th and Goal PlayBook (Audio CD) with Jim Weidmann (Promise Keepers/Focus on the Family, 2001); Sold Out Two-gether with Lyndi McCartney (Word, 1998); Sold Out (Word, 1997); and From Ashes to Glory (David Diles, 1990, 1995). He was a contributing writer to the books Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper (Focus on the Family, 1994, Word, 1999); Go the Distance (Focus on the Family, 1996); and What Makes a Man? (NavPress, 1992).
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[edit] Coaching
McCartney was a successful 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. After several years as an assistant, McCartney was hired to replace Chuck Fairbanks as head coach at the University of Colorado. In his first season the Buffaloes compiled a record of 2-8-1. But McCartney began rebuilding Colorado in the early 1980s by pointing to the success of Big Eight rival Nebraska. McCartney stated that it would take five years to turn the Buffaloes into a winning program. After a disastrous 1-10 season in 1984, McCartney signed a contract extension. In only his fourth season, the Buffaloes were invited to the Freedom Bowl against the Washington Huskies. The following year, 1986, saw McCartney's team win its first game against Nebraska in over two decades. The school was so proud of the accomplishment they left the scoreboard lit until the Monday morning after the game. After moderately successful seasons in 1987 and 1988, McCartney moved his team into national prominence.
But it almost didn't happen. After Southern Methodist University's football team was given a two-year death penalty by the NCAA, McCartney interviewed to take the position and build a program from the ground up. He was subsequently talked out of it by the University of Colorado President.
In 1988, the Buffaloes star quarterback, Sal Aunese, was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Aunesse died in the middle of the 1989 season. Dedicating the season to their fallen comrade, the Buffaloes gave college football one of its most heart-warming stories. They roared through their 1989 schedule and beat every regular season opponent including ranked teams Washington, Illinois, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. When the final regular season poll for 1989 was released, the Colorado Buffaloes had taken only seven years to go from 1-10 to number one in the country. They played in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame on January 1, 1990. They lost to Notre Dame, 21-6, and ended the year number four in the nation.
Big things were expected in 1990, and McCartney took the step of adding an extra game, the inaugural Disney Kick-Off Classic, to the schedule. Beginning the year ranked number four, the Buffaloes tied with the Tennessee Volunteers, 31-31. A comeback win against Stanford and a loss to Illinois made the Buffs 1-1-1. The tide turned with a win over Texas and they went undefeated the rest of the season. But the controversy that was to cast a pall over the Buffs' 1990 success came on October 6, 1990 against Missouri. The referees accidentally allowed the Buffaloes an additional play that wound up being the difference between victory and defeat. The play, known as the Fifth Down had major repercussions for the rest of the year.
As the teams in front of them lost, Colorado continued to climb in the rankings. They beat nationally ranked opponents Washington, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. The win against Nebraska combined with the other events of November 3, 1990 put the Buffaloes in the number one spot. If they won their remaining games, they would win the national championship.
Once again, the Buffaloes faced off in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. A sensational game unfolded that seemingly ended with another Notre Dame victory. Colorado punter Tom Rouen punted to Raghib "the Rocket" Ismail with 65 seconds left. Ismail bolted 91 yards for the game-winning touchdown, only to have it called back due to a clipping penalty. Colorado hung on for a 10-9 win and a share of the national championship. The following year, the Buffaloes tied Nebraska for the Big Eight title and lost to Alabama in the Blockbuster Bowl. In 1992, they lost three games and the Fiesta Bowl to Syracuse. After coaching two more seasons, the last an 11-1 season including a bowl win over Notre Dame, McCartney retired from coaching to head the Christian men's group Promise Keepers. After many years he resigned as the head of PK and founded an organization called The Road to Jerusalem.
[edit] Honors
McCartney is the former head football coach of the University of Colorado. His team won a co-national championship in 1990. He has been inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (1999) and the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame (1996) and has been honored as UPI Coach of the Year (1990), Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year (1985, 1989, 1990), and National Coach of the Year (1989). He serves on the board of directors of the Equip Foundation, Gospel to the Unreached Millions, and Concerts of Prayer International and has been honored with personal awards including: Humanitarian of the Year from the Syl Morgan Smith Colorado Gospel Music Academy (1999); the Evangelist Philip Award from the National Association of United Methodist Evangelists (1999); the Fire-Setters Award from Revival Fires Ministries (1997); Layperson of the Year from the National Association of Evangelicals (1996); ABC News Person of the Week (February 16, 1996); the Chief Award from Chief, Inc., Phoenix, Az. (1996); the Spectrum Award from Sports Spectrum magazine (1995); and the Impact America Award from Point Loma College (1995).
[edit] Controversy
McCartney is no stranger to controversy. Aside from the previously mentioned occasions involving his near-hiring at SMU and the Fifth Down controversy, McCartney has been criticized for his stands on abortion and homosexuality. During the 1989 season, McCartney spoke to an anti-abortion group just two days before the Nebraska game. He also drew a reprimand from University of Colorado President Judith Albino when he made remarks about gays while wearing a university sweater.
He attracted criticism for failing to control his players' off-field behavior in the early 1990s and for failing to impose any disciplinary measures on them when they got into trouble. [1]
Despite her religious/conservative background, his daughter gave birth out of wedlock to a child fathered by QB Sal Aunese (the same player whose untimely death in 1989 inspired the team to its number one ranking that season). She gave birth to a second child in 1993 fathered by Colorado player Shannon Clavelle. That event may have ultimately prompted McCartney to step down as CU head football coach to spend more time with his family, and to eventually found Promise Keepers.
[correction - Bill McCartney founded Promise Keepers prior to stepping down as CU head football coach.]
[edit] March on Washington
On October 4, 1997, over one million Christian men gathered in Washington D.C. for a Promise Keepers rally called "Standing In The Gap." The entire convention was featured on C-SPAN and carried on other cable networks.
[edit] Personal
McCartney lives with his wife, Lyndi, in the Denver area. They have four children and ten grandchildren. The McCartneys attend Faith Bible Chapel, in Arvada, Colorado. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and bike riding.
| Colorado Buffaloes Head Football Coaches |
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| Heller • Folsom • Mortimer • Cropp • Keinholz • Castleman • Evans • Mills • Witham • Saunders • Oakes • Potts • Yeager • Ward • Grandelius • Davis • Crowder • Mallory • Fairbanks • McCartney • Neuheisel • Barnett • Hawkins |
