McGrath raced for the United States Ski Team on the World Cup circuit from 1984 through 1990, and had one podium finish in slalom, runner-up to Alberto Tomba at Åre in 1988.
The Los Angeles Times wrote of his criticism for the lack of competency among the coaches, who were "putting exaggerated pressure on the racers."
He felt that the coaches were not attuned to the steps required to develop relatively inexperienced skiers and were not cognizant of the personal training regimes of individual team members.
[8] While a World Cup racer, McGrath made a commercial for Alka-Seltzer Plus, which was shown during the Super Bowl in January 1988.
[2] Born in Princeton, New Jersey,[3] McGrath grew up in Norwich, Vermont, where his father Bob (1935–2019) was a longtime art history professor at nearby Dartmouth College.