If Colorado ever meets Nebraska on a football field again, it won’t feel as important anymore because Bill McCartney won’t be there to watch it.

BOULDER, Colo. (KKTV) — Bill McCartney, who coached Colorado to its only football national championship in 1990, has died at age 84. According to a statement from McCartney’s family, he died Friday night “after a courageous journey with dementia.”

Bill McCartney, the University of Colorado Boulder's head football coach from 1982 through 1994, lauded as a legendary coach by CU Athletics, died peacefully on Friday, his family and CU Athletics announced.