McCartney played college football for the LSU Tigers and began his coaching career there in 2011.
He has also previously served as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers.
McCartney was expected to take a spot on the roster at the University of Colorado Boulder offered by Buffaloes head coach and former assistant of his grandfather, Gary Barnett.
However, Barnett was forced to resign in 2005 and the deal fell through when Dan Hawkins was hired.
[6] On January 17, 2024, days after a Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans, head coach Kevin Stefanski fired McCartney.