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Joel Klatt Had Heartfelt Reaction To Death Of Hall Of Fame Coach

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Jan 11, 2025 5:51 PM ET

Last night saw the passing of a college football legend as former Colorado head coach and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Bill McCartney passed away at the age of 84.

McCartney led Colorado to their first national championship in 1990 and coached Rashan Salaam to the school's first Heisman Trophy in 1994, finishing his career as the school's all-time leader in wins.

Among the many Colorado alumni to offer condolences is Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt. The former Colorado quarterback turned college football analyst took to X on Saturday and called Coach Mac "a titan of a man" and a privilege to be around while he was alive.

"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," Klatt wrote.

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…
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) January 11, 2025

McCartney went 93-55-5 in his 13 years as head coach of the Buffalos and the football program has struggled to come close to replicating his success in the decades since his retirement.

The 1990 season saw the Buffaloes go 11-1-1, with wins over a previously unbeaten No. 3 Nebraska team and an Orange Bowl win over the No. 5 Notre Dame team serving as some of the biggest wins in school history.

College Football: Colorado head coach Bill McCartney on sidelines during game vs Nebraska at Folsom Field. Boulder, CO 11/4/1989 CREDIT: Tony Tomsic (Photo by Tony Tomsic /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X39077 TK2 R4 F27 )Tony Tomsic/Getty Images

Though no game was more iconic than the legendary "Fifth Down Game" against Missouri, which saw Colorado win 33-31 on a Charles Johnson touchdown run after officials accidentally gave the Buffaloes an extra down to play after forgetting to switch the down marker on third down.

Sadly, McCartney was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer's in 2016 and had been out of the public eye in recent years.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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