McNair retired from professional football in 1996 and began coaching at Camden High School in Camden, New Jersey. McNair was the running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2001 to 2003, and joined USC Trojans from 2004 to 2009. In his first season, he served as Running Backs Coach, and took on the additional position of Special Teams Coordinator in 2005. McNair was considered one of the most effective recruiters in college football. He was named one of the nation's top-25 recruiters by Rivals.com.