Overview
- Mackey died Tuesday, according to his son Brian, with outlets reporting an apparent heart attack as the cause.
- ESPN lists his age as 79, while the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports 80, reflecting a minor discrepancy in public records.
- He led 14-seed Cleveland State past No. 3 Indiana and Saint Joseph’s in 1986 before a one-point loss to David Robinson’s Navy in the Sweet 16.
- Mackey coached Cleveland State from 1984 to 1990 with a 142–69 record before a widely publicized 1990 drug incident ended his college tenure.
- Following treatment with John Lucas, he coached in minor leagues, later scouted for the Indiana Pacers under Larry Bird, remained sober for 35 years, and lived in Walpole, Massachusetts, with three children and seven grandchildren surviving him.