RIP Coach Mac**

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[NateW]

I don't have any memories of Syracuse Football until 1994 so I never knew Mac as the coach of the Orange. As a boy growing up in the Southern Tier my family did not have any connection to Syracuse or the University. One Saturday afternoon my Dad and I were watching college football and Syracuse was playing in the Dome. My father informed me that Syracuse is just a couple hour drive from us. That was all it took for me to become a diehard Syracuse fan. Our obsession with all things Syracuse escalated soon there after.

I was introduced to Coach Mac as a color commentator on Saturdays in fall of the early 2000's. Working as a "bus boy" at a winery on Keuka Lake I listened to the Syracuse games in "The Cage" where the cases of wine were stored. Coach Mac's color commentary was AWESOME! He wasn't really too sharp with his call and there certainly wasn't a lot of breaking down of the game's strategy but he was a FAN! A SYRACUSE FAN!! And there was something about an announcer living and dying with each snap, just like me, that made me fall in love the guy.

RIP Coach

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Roger N]

Syracuse Loses A Legend: Remembering 'Coach Mac'

My favorite Mac remembrance was back in Moose Johnson's soph year. Moose had a breakout game and afterward went down to Cornell to celebrate. He got a little rowdy and Mac was asked about it the next week.

Mac said something like he had promised Mrs. Johnson that he'd take good care of her son Daryl.

He said that he had turned a straight A student into a beer drinking, skirt chasing, straight C student.

The best!

 

[Symphony Steve]

RIP Coach Mac. Full of life, full of joy, never full of himself.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[crales44]

There will never be another quite like him. Here's one of his greatest gifts to Syracuse fandom...

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Ish88888]

Had an opportunity to meet and spend a night with coach Mac in 1989 at tne NYS high school HOF dinner in Albany as I was receiving an award that night. He was the keynote speaker and he even sat at the table with myself, my parents, and HS coaches. He was a class act and acted as if he wanted to know ALL of us personally. He literaly came around to each of us, each chair, kneeled and chatted with each and every one of us. Reeled me in at 17 to Cuse football. Fly high coach Mac!!!!

 

[NJCuse97]

So I don't have a personal story, just two imparted to me by my roommate who was a walk on in the mid 90's. He said they were getting ready to play Rutgers, who we had squeaked past the previous year, when they felt they had a thunder and lighting ground game. Well the game came down to a goal line run stop and all the Rutgers team and press were saying they were going to get us that year because they only lost by 3 inches last year. Mac apparently then said, "Gentlemen the only place 3 inches matter is on the tip of your ..." (1994 and 1995). The other is related to all the drink, sip, and pass Daryl Johnston stories. He used to say that everyone thought Daryl got his "Moose" nickname as a lead blocker with Dallas, but in reality it was because of all the Moosehead he drank while at SU.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

My dad wrote a supportive letter to Mac when the Sack Mac crowd was very vocal. Mac sent him a hand written thank you note. 1st class.

 

[MSOrange]

I always liked Coach Mac, but what really iced it for me was this...

I was driving back from Canada on a business trip. I got to Watertown on Route 81 and turned the radio on. Mac was doing his weekly radio show.

A young boy called in. The boy may have been 11-12 years old and was obviously mentally handicapped.

My first thought was..they're going to somehow cut the call short. Mac went on to engage this kid in conversation for at least 10 minutes. I was so touched by the man's kindness and consideration that I almost cried.

The boy was absolutely thrilled.

Great coach, but a greater person. RIP.

You got me a little teary with that story. The Coach Mac teams were my first football memories. Just a great coach and a better person, as you said.

 

[SWC75]

My dad wrote a supportive letter to Mac when the Sack Mac crowd was very vocal. Mac sent him a hand written thank you note. 1st class.

Where is the Sack Mac crowd now? Was anybody on this board a part of it?

 

[KellySyracuse]

sad day today, RIP Coach Mac. I've told this story before, it's such a classic Mac story. I was asked by my boyfriend at the time to work the coat room at this giant banquet being held at Drumlin's back in 1986-87. I think I was about 22 years old and if you think working a coat room for a crowd of about 300 is easy you'd be wrong. It was raining/snowing outside so everyone had a hat, galoshes and an umbrella which they had all wanted to check into the coat room, all at once. Obviously it all went downhill for me because I was too overwhelmed to have a take a number type of method given all the extra accoutrements that everyone wanted me to check. Coach Mac is at the banquet and also checked his coat/hat.

Well the dinner ends and people start queuing up to get their stuff which I had tried to keep straight but did a miserable job at it. When the crowd started to get hostile with me Coach Mac comes behind the half door, puts on some ladies fur coat and hat that I swear had a feather in it and helped me get everyone the right stuff all the while making it an extension of the party that had just ended. And he made sure people tipped me too.

It was the only time I met him, what a great man. I'll never forget that night or going to the Sugar Bowl that year. It's what got me hooked on SU football

 

[Hoo's That]

Very sorry to hear this. He and Ben Schwarzwalder are the ones I always think of if asked to name a SU coach.

 

[SWC75]

I think Coach Mac is special to us for three reasons.

1) He had the same job as Coach Babers now has: re-invigorate a moribund program against great odds. Coach Mac did it and the memory of his breakthroughs are precious to us now as we hope to see such breakthroughs again. Mac showed it was possible, (as Ben had done decades before).

2) He stayed. Yes, he went off to coach the Patriots for a couple of years but of all the many places his coaching career took him, he elected to make his home here in CNY. He adopted us and we adopted him. He wasn't just passing through like so many of our heroes. He became one of us.

3) His personality. While most coaches are gruff and secretive, he was a warm-hearted extrovert who had respect and kindness for so many people favorable stories about him are legion. He was an entertaining guy to listen to, sort of our Casey Stengel. (there was even a resemblance).

He didn't always answer the question or even make any sense but he was always fun to listen to. He also wore his heart on his sleeve and his emotions were always honest.

There's going to be a lot of occasions to remember and honor the 1987 team this year and I'm sad Coach Mac won't be there to be a part of it.

 

[NJCuse97]

He is almost a prototype for the stereotypical coach. Think of "Coach" from Cheers.

 

[CousCuse]

Coach Mac and Glen Campbell on the same day. 2 great guys who gave all of their spirit.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[Ringostar57]

RIP to the man who brought us back!

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Very saddened by Coach Mac's passing. I'd often see him at halftime the past few years as I'd run into the concourse. The last time I saw him I was wearing the typical 44 Cuse jersey. I said, "Hey Coach!" he looked at me and responded "Nice numbah!" Not much of a story, but it made me smile then and today thinking about him.