He played for the Iowa Hawkeyes, but most remember Mac McCausland the way I do... as an announcer that was one of the program's biggest cheerleaders.

The University of Iowa announced late Monday afternoon that McCausland (above left) had passed away from natural causes on Saturday, February 5 in his Las Vegas, Nevada home. He was 75.

Mac, a Waterloo native, played for Ralph Miller on the Iowa men's basketball team in the 1960s. He was heavily involved in the National I-Club for decades and spent many years as the President of the Black Hawk County I-Club. Mac spent five decades in the insurance industry. While much of that was outside the public eye, most people remember Mac as a longtime color commentator for Iowa men's basketball on radio and TV.

For years, I watched Mac and play-by-play man Larry Morgan (above right) during televised games. Those were the days that the Hawks were always on the same channel and seemingly everyone watched. I never missed a game. You could always feel Mac's love for the team and his pride when his son, Kent, was on the floor for the Hawkeyes from 1996 through 1999.

During his broadcasting career, when an Iowa victory became imminent, Mac would announce that it was 'chips and salsa time.' There's no doubt some were enjoyed in heaven over the weekend because Mac was always a winner.

Funeral services are pending at Locke Funeral Home in Waterloo.

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