Dave McGinnis, former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and color commentator for the Tennessee Titans, passed away on Monday, the Titans announced. He was 74 years old.
McGinnis, who coached in the NFL for 31 years, had been hospitalized since March, the Titans said. The Athletic reported that he died of kidney failure.
McGinnis, who served as an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears for nearly a decade, was promoted to head coach during the 2000 season and served as interim coach after Vince Tobin was fired midway through the season. He was given the full-time job after the season and remained in the position until the 2023 season, but was fired after a 4-12 season.
McGinnis compiled a 17-40 record as head coach, including 1-8 as interim.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dave McGinniss and extend our deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved him,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “As Dave often said, he was a ‘ball coach’ through and through, and no one played that role with more passion, enthusiasm and charisma. Coach Mack truly loved the game and everything involved, and everyone involved, especially the players. He was one of a kind and will be sorely missed.”
In January 1999, McGinnis found himself at the center of one of the strange chapters of the NFL coaching search. Then the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator interviewed for the Bears’ head coaching job after the team fired Dave Wannstedt. Chicago announced McGinniss had been hired before the deal was finalized, to McGinniss’ surprise. The next day, McGinniss withdrew from consideration, saying, “My gut feeling was that it didn’t feel right.”
After being fired by the Cardinals, McGinnis joined Jeff Fisher’s staff with the Titans as linebackers coach from 2004 to 2011. He would follow Fisher to the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams as assistant head coach from 2012 to 2016.
“The lives he touched and the number of people who cared about him are truly amazing,” Fisher said in a statement to the Titans. “Mac treated people very well and made everyone feel like they were important. People stopped by to see him at the hospital and even when he could barely speak, he asked about his family and grandchildren. He had a great impact on so many people. Everyone loved him.”
After that season, he began his broadcasting career as a color analyst for Titans radio.
