Ex-Cardinals, Titans, Rams coach Dave McGinnis passes away at 74

Former NFL coach and longtime broadcaster Dave McGinnis passed away Monday at the age of 74 after an illness that had hospitalized him since early March. He reportedly died of renal failure, with his family by his side in Nashville.

McGinnis compiled more than three decades of NFL coaching experience from 1986 to 2016, working with the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, and Tennessee Titans. He served as Arizona’s head coach from 2000 to 2003, going 17-40 overall, and 1-8 as interim coach after replacing Vince Tobin midseason in 2000. His time with the team concluded after a 4-12 season in 2003, despite a strong debut year from Anquan Boldin, which earned him AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Before becoming a head coach, McGinnis spent nearly five seasons as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator. He later joined Jeff Fisher’s staff in Tennessee, where he coached linebackers from 2004 to 2011 and eventually became assistant head coach. He followed Fisher to the Rams, serving as assistant head coach from 2012 to 2016, where he contributed to player development, including stars such as Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley.

Over his NFL career, McGinnis coached eight Hall of Fame players, including Mike Singletary, Emmitt Smith, and Aeneas Williams. While in Arizona, he also coached Pat Tillman, who left football in 2002 to join the US Army and was killed in Afghanistan in 2004.

McGinnis began his coaching career in 1973 at Texas Christian University and spent 13 years in college before entering the NFL with the Bears in 1986 under Mike Ditka. He held multiple roles throughout his career, including linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, and assistant head coach.

After retiring from coaching in 2016, McGinnis transitioned to broadcasting, joining Titans Radio in 2017 as a color analyst, a role he held through the 2025 season. His 31-season NFL journey, including 57 games as a head coach, left a wide-reaching influence across organizations and generations of players.

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