George MacIntyre, coach of magical '82 Vanderbilt team, dies

Former Vanderbilt football coach George MacIntyre, the 1982 national coach of the year, died Tuesday at age 76, his son Matt said.

MacIntyre manned the winningest Commodores squad in more than a half-century when his team posted an 8-4 record and played in the Hall of Fame Bowl.

That stood as Vanderbilt's most wins since 1955 and remained in that position until James Franklin's team went 9-4 in 2012.

"That was just one special year," said Whit Taylor, MacIntyre's All-SEC quarterback on that 1982 team. "I don't know how it happened, but it did. He just bought into us, and we sure bought into him as our coach."

Vanderbilt's final win in 1982 was a 28-21 victory over rival Tennessee before falling to Air Force in the Hall of Fame Bowl. The Commodores did not beat the Vols again until 2005, and they did not return to a bowl until 2008.

"We didn't think about (the significance of the season) at that time," Taylor said. "We just felt the heartbeat of (MacIntyre) because he really cared about his players. He believed in us."

MacIntyre, who lived in Nashville, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than 20 years ago, and his condition worsened over the past few years. No funeral arrangements have been announced yet.

Another son, Mike MacIntyre, is the coach at Colorado. He played for his father at Vanderbilt before transferring to Georgia Tech. Matt MacIntyre played at Western Kentucky. Both sons were standouts at Brentwood Academy.

George is also survived by his wife, Betty.

George MacIntyre was a Vanderbilt assistant in 1973-74 and later returned to serve as head coach from 1979-85, when he posted an overall record of 25-52-1 in seven seasons. He earned the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year award and SEC Coach of the Year honor in that memorable 1982 season.

"George MacIntyre made a significant contribution to the history of Vanderbilt football," said Roy Kramer, former Vanderbilt athletic director and SEC commissioner. "He arrived at a time when the program was down and he brought excitement back to the campus and city."

Current Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason called MacIntyre "a man of integrity, a man of character and a man who instilled great values in his players that have served them well long after they left the football program at Vanderbilt."

“Coach Mac was a true father figure away from home at a time before cell phones, when it was too expensive to call home, said Will Wolford, who played at Vanderbilt from 1982-85 and had a 13-year NFL career. "He treated us all fairly and we all had equal value in his eyes.

“Coach was the first person to tell me that I would play in the NFL 'for 10 years' when I was a sophomore. I didn’t believe him at the time but he reminded me regularly throughout my career.”

MacIntyre's first head coaching job was at UT-Martin (1975-77). He served numerous college assistant coaching stints, including stops at Clemson and Ole Miss, and was the head coach at Donelson Christian Academy in 1991-92.

“It was my privilege to play under George MacIntyre as my position coach at Clemson," said Bobby Johnson, who was Vanderbilt's coach from 2002-09. "Though fiercely competitive, his coaching style was to instruct rather than belittle; an approach which earned him the affection of his players and inspired those players to overachieve on the field.

“Consequently, when I entered the profession, Coach MacIntyre was my role model.”

"He was an extremely solid human being," Kramer added. "He had concern for his players and was committed to them more than simply being their coach. He cared about their lives. He brought the qualities of honesty, integrity and character that made him successful on and off the field of play.

"He was involved with the Nashville community and even though he struggled with ill health in the later stages of his life, he always kept a twinkle in his eye."

Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

GEORGE MACINTYRE

At Vanderbilt: Assistant coach (1973-74); Head coach (1979-85)

Record at Vanderbilt: 25-52-1

Accolades: 1982 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year, SEC Coach of the Year

Family: Wife Betty, sons Mike (coach at Colorado) and Matt