Dave McGinnis passes away: Titans, Nashville loses a friend, voice and our ‘Coach Mac' far too soon
NASHVILLE — “Keep your powder dry. ” I can hear the famous catch phrase of longtime NFL coach and Tennessee Titans radio analyst Dave McGinnis in my head as we all remember his life. Known by most as “Coach Mac,” McGinnis passed away Monday at age 74 after an extended battle with illness.
He’d want people to laugh and remember the good times, of which there are countless to recall. What a blessing it was to have Mac in our lives for as long as we did. From 1986 to 2016, Mac was a fixture on the sidelines for the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, St.
Louis/LA Rams and on coach Jeff Fisher’s staff in Tennessee. In 2017, he came back to Nashville to join legendary broadcaster Mike Keith as the color analyst for Titans Radio. The chemistry was instantaneous.
There are voices you hear, and then there are voices you feel. For a generation of Tennessee Titans fans, Dave McGinnis was both. His voice carried the authority of experience and the warmth of someone who genuinely loved sharing the game with you.
There has never been a more authentic character than Mac, and that authenticity and care translated to everything he did. Coach Mac helped give me my start Personally, I wouldn’t have a career without him. As I head into my 10th season covering the Titans, all I can think about is how many different ways Mac helped me along the way.