Former Bears assistant coach Dave McGinnis passes away
Dave McGinnis, who served as Bears linebackers coach from 1986-95 as part of a 44-year coaching career, passed away Monday in Tennessee at age 74.
www.chicagobears.comHere’s the latest you asked for on Dave McGinnis and the Bears:
- Dave McGinnis passed away on April 13, 2026, at age 74. The Bears and NFL community publicly mourned his loss and acknowledged his long coaching career, including his time with the Bears from 1986–1995.[5][8]
- Tributes and coverage highlighted his impact as a dedicated coach and the context around the infamous 1999 botched hiring incident, which remains a notable moment in Bears history.[6][7]
- Several outlets published retrospectives noting that McGinnis was a highly respected figure whose potential tenure as Bears head coach was never realized due to ownership missteps at the time.[1][6]
If you’d like, I can pull a brief timeline of the key events around the 1999 hiring incident and summarize the major reactions from Chicago media and the Bears organization.