Titans radio analyst Dave McGinnis, one of the most popular members of the franchise, passed away on Monday, the team announced.
The 74-year-old McGinnis, hospitalized since March 4 due to an illness, died after seeing many friends, colleagues, players and coaches in his final days.
Famous for his sense of humor, his ability to make all who knew him feel special, and his passion for football, “Coach Mac” did his best to smile, laugh and talk the game in his final days, even as his body weakened, per the team.
“The lives he touched, and the number of people that cared about him, it’s amazing really,” former Titans head coach Jeff Fisher said of McGinnis, his friend of 40 years, in a release. “Mac treated people so well, and made everyone feel like they were important. Even in the hospital, people would stop by to see him, and he would ask about their families, their grandkids, even when he could barely speak. He made a big impact on so many people. Everyone loved Mac.”
A Snyder, Texas native, McGinnis embarked on his NFL coaching career in 1986 with the Bears, where he spent 10 seasons on the staffs of Mike Ditka and Dave Wannstedt as linebackers coach.
McGinnis would go on to accumulate three decades of coaching experience with the Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Titans and the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, as a linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, and head coach. He led the Cardinals to a 17-40 mark during his tenure as head coach.
McGinnis initially joined the Titans as an assistant coach on Fisher’s staff with the team in 2004, and he spent eight seasons as linebackers coach.
“Coach Mac, he was upbeat, and he was honest, and I always appreciated that,” former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck, who played six seasons under McGinnis, said in the release.
“He was not a yeller, and he did not try to make you look dumb in front of the guys. But he had his funny Texas way of telling you to get your [act] together, and `This is unacceptable.’ He wanted to make sure a game didn’t go down on his watch.”
McGinnis took over as Titans radio gameday analyst in 2017, earning celebrity status for his down-home west Texas style, his keen interest in people, and the football knowledge he imparted to listeners.
He held his job through the 2025 season.
“Coach Mac has given me an NFL education for free and the bond we made over the game of football will never be broken,” Rhett Bryan, executive producer of Titans Radio, said in the release. “What an incredible friend and mentor who makes you better by osmosis — in life and in my case, broadcasting.
“For the rest of my life, I’ll honor him and celebrate him. Like so many Titans fans, I mourn this tremendous loss. For the Titans organization he was an ambassador and for all of us he was our treasure. Think of him as the `football Dolly Parton’. Everyone loved Mac.”