In a heartfelt tribute to one of its most iconic figures, the University of Colorado announced during the spring game its plans to honor legendary football coach Bill McCartney with a statue outside Folsom Field. The project was two years in the making, and the statue will be unveiled before a CU home game this fall.
McCartney, who passed away on January 10, 2025, at the age of 84, remains the winningest coach in Colorado Buffaloes history. Over his 13-season tenure from 1982 to 1994, he amassed a 93–55–5 record, secured three consecutive Big Eight championships from 1989 to 1991, and led the team to its only national championship in 1990. His leadership transformed the Buffaloes into a national powerhouse, culminating in a memorable victory over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
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Beyond the gridiron, McCartney was known for his deep faith and commitment to mentoring young men. His influence extended beyond football, touching countless lives through his advocacy for family values and community engagement.
A scholarship for future CU students will also be established in the legendary coach’s name.
“Coach Mac’s imprint on this university transcends his incredible accomplishments on the football field,” said Colorado athletic director Rick George. “This statue and the scholarship created in his honor will stand as a permanent monument to those accomplishments and the many lives he touched during and after his time as head football coach. It also further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to honoring CU football’s illustrious past.”
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The project was two years in the making and will stand 8.5 feet tall, consisting of a bronze statue on a granite base. It is designed by Brian Hanlon of Hanlon Sculpture Studios, who also designed the statue of Ralphie and her handlers that stands outside the Colorado’s Champions Center.
It will be just the second statue outside Folson Field in its 101-year history, joining a bust of the stadium’s namesake, Fred Folsom.
Current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders says he plans to honor McCartney this season by wearing his iconic hat and jacket combination during the Buffaloes’ first game against Georgia Tech.
Sanders also lamented the amount of time it took to honor the greatest coach in Colorado history.
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“Why we wait?” Sanders said in a news conference after his team’s spring game. “Wouldn’t we have wanted him to see? TO be involved in it? To feel it? To feel the love, the respect, the appreciation?”… My policy is to give people their flowers while they can enjoy them and they can smell them.”
McCartney will now forever be remembered outside Folsom Field.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football head coach Bill McCartney statue
