Upon his return to the United States, McBride taught at Officer Candidates School at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

While studying law he fell under the tutelage of Chesterfield Smith, a powerful politically connected Florida attorney and then president of the American Bar Association.

After graduation, McBride joined Smith's Tampa law firm, Holland & Knight, where he rose in the ranks until becoming managing partner in 1992.

He was also chair of the board of the investment banking firm Hyde Park Capital Partners, LLC, with offices in Tampa and Charlotte, North Carolina.

McBride died on December 22, 2012, after suffering a heart attack while vacationing with his family in Mt Airy, North Carolina.