Celebrate the spirit of the North Shore and talk story with Coach McBride and local football legends as we give back and support the McBride Foundation and Kahuku Medical Center.
February 19: Welcome Luau – Under Canvas Near Practice Green
Award winning singer/songwriter Ella Langley headlined a benefit concert Thursday, May 15, 2025, netting more than $125,000 for the Ron McBride Foundation (RMF). The sold out concert attracted 4,000 to The Complex, 536 West 100 South, Salt Lake City.
Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me,” which she performed at the CMA Awards with Riley Green, nabbed the 2024 CMA award for Musical Event of the Year. In 2025, she led the nominations (with eight) for the Academy of Country Music Awards, and was recently also nominated for Favorite Female Country Artist by the American Music Awards.
The Ron McBride Foundation, founded in 2017 by the former University of Utah head football coach, awarded grants in excess of $400,000 to Title 1 Schools in support of their afterschool programs for at-risk children and youth.
The grant money will was handed out at the “Best in State” party on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, from 6-8 p.m. at The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, Salt Lake City. More than 100 educators joined in celebrating “the Blue Ribbon Success of 30 Afterschool Programs” in these six Utah school districts – Ogden, Salt Lake City, Granite, Jordan, Murray and Canyons.
With federal funds being cut for these programs, the RMF received an unprecedented number of grant applications. Thanks to generous donors and successful special events, the RMF was able to fund 30 programs – up 86% over last year.
Academy Award-winning singer, song writer and guitarist Ryan Bingham and the Texas Gentlemen headlined a benefit concert on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at The Complex in downtown Salt Lake City. The sold-out concert, in honor of Coach Mac’s 85th Birthday, raised more than $100,000 for the Ron McBride Foundation. It was sponsored by Larry and Annette Marquardt-Kimball, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, The Complex and YESCO Outdoor Media.
SALT LAKE CITY – Calling all Utah football fans, single out your favorite memory over the last 30 years. Samplings include two undefeated seasons, multiple Pac-12 championships, and the accompanying Rose Bowl appearances, and success in major bowl games.
Throw in a few other good times, and the point is, there are many from which to choose. Another one might be in store for the Utes, who rolled Cal Poly 63-9 Saturday to stay unbeaten through two games.
But, as long-time suffering Ute fans can attest to, it wasn’t like this. Before Urban Meyer advanced his meteoric rise through the coaching ranks and Kyle Whittingham engineered the excellent transition into a power conference, another coach did the heavy lifting that paved the way for Utah’s success.
It’s easy to trace the recent success to Ron McBride, who built the foundation more than 30 years ago. For his great work, the 85-year-old former coach was rewarded with his induction into the football Ring of Honor at Rice-Eccles Stadium during halftime of the game.
McBride took over a program in 1990 that was mired in perpetual mediocrity, unable to generate any excitement with recruits or within its fan base. BYU was showered in attention at the time, leaving the Utes as an afterthought.
In the two decades before McBride became the coach, Utah had failed to gain any traction as BYU repeatedly won conference championships with an exciting brand of football. About the best the Utes could do the occasional 6-5 season when 11-game schedules were the norm.
With his folksy nature and ability to recruit better talent, McBride built the Utes into conference contenders in the WAC and Mountain West along with making the Holy War with BYU a competitive rivalry. He essentially set the stage for Meyer’s two-year run that included an unbeaten season and Fiesta Bowl win in 2004 that was followed by Whittingham’s ascension from defensive coordinator to head coach the following season.
Inheriting a program that had only five winning seasons in the previous 16 years and was coming off five consecutive losing seasons in the WAC, McBride coached the Utes to a 7-5 record in his second year. The following season in 1992 Utah made a bowl game (the Copper Bowl) for the first time in 28 years.
The Utes played in six bowl games under McBride, doubling the number of bowl appearances in the previous 97 years. His teams won bowl games against USC, Arizona and Fresno State.
“Coach Mac was responsible for the resurgence of Utah football,” said Whittingham, who joined McBride’s staff as a defensive assistant in 1994.
McBride, who is now age 85, had three stints at Utah, beginning as offensive coordinator from 1977-82 and then as the offensive line coach in 1985-86. In between working as an assistant at Arizona, he returned to Utah as the head coach from 1990-2002.
For his efforts, he will join former wide receiver Roy Jefferson as the second and third inductees into the program’s Ring of Honor in a halftime ceremony Saturday night during Utah’s game against Cal Poly at Rice-Eccles Stadium. They will join former quarterback Alex Smith, who was the first inductee last year.
In what seems impossible to believe, given the current state of the program, McBride changed Utah’s recruiting philosophy by targeting more in-state high school players. This meant going after local LDS talent, embracing the condition that many of those players would leave to serve two-year church missions.
He was considered an excellent recruiter, a fact that contributed significantly toward upgrading the program’s talent. In turn, his players responded in kind to the fierce loyalty he showed them.
“If you had to say what is Coach Mac’s strength, it is recruiting,” Whittingham said. “In college that’s most important aspect of your job, so you can say he was the best at what was most important.”
Inheriting much of McBride’s roster after then-athletic director Chris Hill decided to change coaches, Meyer quickly lifted Utah to a much higher plateau. In two seasons, he guided Utah to consecutive conference championships and an unbeaten season in 2004.
Meyer, who had no previous connection to Utah before taking the job, always intended to parlay his success into a higher-profile job. Sure enough, he left for Florida after two seasons, but Hill then promoted Whittingham, whom Meyer retained after McBride’s dismissal.
The Whittingham promotion restored McBride’s direct connection to the Utah program, having hired him as an assistant in 1992. In his 21st year at the helm, he is Utah’s winningest coach.
“For me personally, he gave me my first opportunity in Division I football,” Whittingham said. “I’m forever grateful for that.”
The Ron McBride Foundation will host its third annual Legacy Gala on Oct. 22, 2022 at The Marriott at City Creek. The RMF will honor outstanding individuals who have made a difference in the lives of children and youth.
The Ron McBride Foundation (RMF) needs your help to raise $167,000 by May 1, 2022, to construct a six-lane track around the soccer field at Glendale Middle School in Salt Lake School District. All you need to do is buy a brick that will form the pathway to the “Ron McBride Track.”
The Ron McBride foundation will host its first “Mac Attack” Golf Tournament in conjunction with Weber State Athletics on September 16,2022 at Wolf Creek Golf Course.
