From NFL sidelines to Titans Radio, Coach Mac's passion for football ignited fans. Remembering a legendary coach and beloved analyst's impactful journey.
Like many of you, I was shocked on Monday night by the news that Tennessee Titans Color Analyst Dave "Coach Mac" McGinnis had passed away.
He grew up in Snyder, Texas, in the 1950s and passed away on Monday, April 13. According to a press release on the Titans' website, he passed away at the age of 74 due to an illness that had hospitalized him in March.
McGinnis joined Titans Radio as a Color Analyst in 2017.
However, he was first a longtime NFL assistant coach, starting with the Chicago Bears in 1986 as a linebackers coach.
He was then hired by the Arizona Cardinals as their defensive coordinator in 1996, under head coach Vince Tobin. McGinnis was the Cardinals' DC under 2000, when he got his shot as an NFL head coach in Arizona.
Tobin was fired halfway through that season, and McGinnis stepped in as the interim head coach. McGinnis was hired as the full-time HC in 2001 and remained in that role through 2003.
McGinnis knew how to fire up a room during his time as a head coach with the Cardinals. Here's an old clip of him after a win over the Seattle Seahawks in 2002.
McGinnis even spent some time as an assistant under former head coach Jeff Fisher, working in the Music City as the Titans' linebacker coach from 2004-2011. He followed Fisher to the St. Louis Rams in 2012, where he served as assistant head coach, and remained there until Fisher was fired in 2016.
Titans Radio had the best in the business, with Mike Keith and McGinnis in the booth. Keith is now with the Vol Radio Network as the Voice of the Vols.
McGinnis' enthusiasm for the NFL followed him when he joined Titans Radio. He even spent a lot of time evaluating players in the NFL as a true fan of the game. I found a clip of him explaining what made former Titans receiver Adam Humphries so versatile.
He was a busy man, as listeners on 104.5 The Zone enjoyed his weekly calls on many of the radio station's sports talk shows.
Coach Mac personified the energy and passion of this fanbase every time he was in the booth, whether it was the many years he spent alongside Keith or last season, when he worked with his new partner, Taylor Zarzour.
Zarzour replaced Keith after he left to work with Tennessee, and Coach Mac stayed on as the Color Analyst.
With Keith, Titans Radio was already a treat to listen to during Titans games. However, adding Coach Mac to the show took it to new heights.
McGinnis lived a full life.
His life revolved around football, and the sport was better for it. There weren't any people like McGinnis in the world of football. The NFL lost a true legend on Monday night.
McGinnis was a big part of what makes Titans Radio so special for many fans, myself included, in the Music City.
He truly did it all, from playing college football at TCU to his many years as an assistant coach in the college and professional ranks to his time as the head coach of the Cardinals in the early 2000s.
Coach Mac left a positive impact on the Titans and the NFL as a whole. He will be missed dearly.
Rest in peace, Coach Mac.