McGinnis graduated from Snyder High School in Snyder, Texas. McGinnis was a three-year starter as a defensive back at Texas Christian University, where he graduated in 1973 with a degree in business management. Prior to joining the NFL ranks, McGinnis spent 13 years in college football, including at his alma materTexas Christian University, Missouri, Indiana State and Kansas State. McGinnis has coached in the NFL beginning in 1986. From 1986 to 1995, he was the linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears, and spent 1996–2000 as defensive coordinator of Arizona before being hired to replace Vince Tobin. From 2000–2003, McGinnis compiled a 17–40 record with the team. However, he had a record of 14–12 in games decided by eight or less points. The reason for his lack of success as a head coach has been attributed to the lack of talent on his team, as his successor Dennis Green failed to win more than six games in any season despite previously earning acclaim as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. McGinnis was the focal figure in an embarrassing public relations blunder by the Bears in 1999. After McGinnis interviewed for the vacant head coach position on Thursday, January 22, team presidentMike McCaskey prematurely organized a news conference for the following day with local and national media to announce the hiring of McGinnis as the eleventh Head Coach of the Bears. The news came as a surprise to most notably McGinnis, who had not reached terms on a contract. In an attempt to save face, the Bears postponed the news conference and issued a personal apology to McGinnis from the patriarch of Bears ownership, Ed McCaskey. However, McGinnis remained disenchanted with how the team conducted business and declined future consideration. The team hired Dick Jauron as head coach that off-season. McGinnis became the Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers Coach for the Tennessee Titans in 2004. Prior to the 2017 Titans season, he replaced Frank Wycheck as the color analyst on the Tennessee Titans Radio Network. The job was originally supposed to be temporary, however McGinnis returned for the 2018 season.
