[1] When Long Beach State discontinued its football program in December 1991,[2] McCoy transferred to the University of Utah.

[3][4] He continued as the starter for the 1993 and 1994 seasons, with career totals at Utah of 7,404 yards passing, 49 TD, 23 Int, completing 63.7% for a rating of 146.1.

[5] His collegiate career ended dramatically in 1994 when he threw a game-winning, 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kevin Dyson in the final minute to give Utah a 16–13 win over Arizona in the Freedom Bowl.

After he was unselected in the 1995 NFL draft, McCoy signed with the Denver Broncos as a rookie free agent but was cut during the preseason.

In November of that year, the Green Bay Packers signed him to their practice squad following injuries to Brett Favre and his backup Ty Detmer.

[11] In addition to the Bears, the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles also asked and were granted permission to interview McCoy for their vacant head coaching positions during the Broncos' playoff bye week.

The Chargers' win streak would end in the next round of the playoffs with a 24–17 loss to the eventual AFC Champion Denver Broncos.

[14] A little over two weeks later, the Chargers announced their intention to move to Los Angeles after 56 years in San Diego, making McCoy the last person to coach a professional football team in the city until Mike Martz coached the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football in 2019.