04/25/24
November 27, 2010
McCartney Wants Colorado Job Again: Bill McCartney, who led the Colorado Buffaloes to a national championship in 1990, wants to become the struggling program's next coach. McCartney, 72, has spent 16 years out of the game. "I'm going to be significantly younger than the typical 70-year-old," he said. "My wife, Lyndi, who has the most advanced case of emphysema, she went to the doctor recently and the doctor told her that she still had several years to live. We got home that day, and she said to me, 'I want you to go back to coaching.'"
I switched the link to an ESPN version. If I was a Colorado alumnus I think I'd be leery of McCartney. His wife has "several years to live," by his own statement. That's going to put a lot of age on him, regardless of how young he feels. How much time will he be devoting to Colorado when her situation worsens?
posted by rcade at 11:55 AM on November 27, 2010
I'd be especially leery given how McCartney dragged his wife to the forefront of the reasoning behind his push to return to CU.
Excerpt from the linked article:
Fred Clarkson, co-founder of the blog TalkToAction, also pointed out that one of the tipping points "for the sharp decline of PK was the McCartney sex scandal. It came out during media interviews promoting a new book that he had once cheated on his wife; he proceeded to tell her about it, and then went off to do the Promise Keepers. She said she had been nearly suicidal. The scandal was not so much the confession of a long ago infidelity, but the way he had neglected his wife while PK was on the rise that demonstrated how McCartney talked the talk but couldn't walk the walk. And it was crystal clear in national TV interviews. 'Coach' McCartney, famous for encouraging men to be good husbands, was unable to be one himself, and apparently did not even know it. I think that the episode made it clear to the media and to would-be Promise Keepers, that they had been had."
posted by beaverboard at 12:04 PM on November 27, 2010
According to Yahoo Sport's CFB Blog,Bill McCartney is a smart money choice. CU is broke, and can't afford a name hire (the only reason Dan Hawkins was brought back this year was that they couldn't afford to fire him). McCartney is willing to come back for not a lot of dough. Doesn't matter that he hasn't been relevant to the national picture for 20 years; he's a name, CU fans remember him well, he didn't lead the program into national ignominy, and will work for peanuts.
Gary Barnett is also still available, FWIW. Just keep the females off the team, kthxbye.
posted by Bonkers at 10:12 PM on November 27, 2010
"Will work for peanuts" is a necessary condition, no matter who they pick. CU made a mistake twice that they couldn't afford to make even once. If football wasn't such a sacred cow, at CU and everywhere, they'd shitcan the program and maybe rethink it in five years or so. Why not? They're in a bad hole financially, the athletic department's finances have seriously suffered because of this foolishness, and that money doesn't come out of a vacuum -- what effect has it had on academic programs, scholarships, the general fund? Other sports are gone because of it, the school's reputation is tarnished because of football shenanigans, and no football player with decent prospects would touch CU with a ten-foot dung fork at this point. The only thing on the other side of the argument? "But it's football!!!". Haungh ptui.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:02 PM on November 28, 2010
Can't read the story, but if a 72 year old coach is what Colorado needs to bring it back to relevance, then have at it, Bill! More power to you. If you're like Joe Paterno, you can coach another decade.