NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dave McGinnis, the man everyone in the NFL simply called Coach Mac, died Monday at 74. He had fought an illness since early March and passed peacefully at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown Hospital with family at his side.
From Sidelines to Broadcast Booth, He Lived Football
McGinnis started coaching at TCU in 1973 and never stopped. He broke into the NFL with the Bears in 1986, later ran the Cardinals defense, then took the head job in Arizona from 2000 to 2003 and went 17-40. He pushed hard for the team’s new stadium and watched Anquan Boldin win Offensive Rookie of the Year before the franchise let him go after a 4-12 season.
Arizona owner Michael Bidwell called him a “ball coach” who brought charisma and love for every player. McGinnis jumped to the Titans in 2004 as linebackers coach under Jeff Fisher, earned promotion to assistant head coach, and stayed through 2011. He coached eight Hall of Famers, including safety Pat Tillman before Tillman left football to serve in the Army.
In 2017 he returned to Nashville as Titans radio color analyst. His voice filled living rooms every Sunday. Players still dropped by for advice. He stayed connected right up until illness hit.
Coach Mac’s Lasting Legacy: What’s Next
The Titans lose more than a broadcaster. They lose the guy who made every locker room feel like home. Players sought him out long after he stopped drawing up plays. His optimism rubbed off on everyone — fans, partners, family. You could feel it in the way he called games or chatted on the field.
Titans radio will never sound quite the same. The franchise plans to carry his spirit forward. NFL circles already share stories of his motorcycle-clean standards and instant evaluations. Coach Mac poured everything into the game for over four decades. His voice, his laugh, and his lessons stick with the people who knew him best. Nashville and the league will miss that energy every single Sunday.
