No doubt one of the most touching moments in Colorado’s upset victory over Oregon last week was the postgame embrace head coach Mike MacIntyre shared with his son, Jay (picture above). There was no hiding the emotions between father and son, who are now following in the footsteps of the elder MacIntyre and his own father.
George MacIntyre’s coaching career spanned four decades and included stops at national powerhouses Miami (FL) and Ole Miss before earning a head coaching opportunity at Vanderbilt. Mike and his brother spent their childhood following George from state to state as he rose in the coaching ranks; Mike would eventually go on to suit up for his dad as a safety at Vanderbilt. Jay, a sophomore wide receiver, has done the same at Colorado.
George passed away in January of this year, but Mike still draws inspiration from his father and to this day leans on the lessons he learned not just about coaching a football team but raising a family and a football family. The CU head coach spoke with the Pac-12 Network this week and opened up about his relationship with his father and the inspiration he still draws from his dad’s positivity in life.
“He was always super encouraging,” Mike says about George. “He was always on the positive side of things. When he met people, he always made them feel like they were the best, most important person in the world.”
That mentality has carried over in his own coaching career, as Buffs fans are learning. Despite three challenging years to start his tenure in Boulder, MacIntyre continues to push a positive message with his team and the results are becoming evident on the field.
While Mike laments the fact that George’s medical condition (he battled multiple sclerosis in the later stages of his life) limited his ability to see his son in person as an NCAA head coach, it’s clear in the embrace between Mike and Jay that those family ties will continue on for another generation.
