McGugin died of heart failure in 1936, just two years after quitting the coaching profession and taking on the position of athletic director.
At the time of his retirement, he had served longer at one institution than any other coach in America.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural 1951 class.
He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1966.
He was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.


Sportswriter Fuzzy Woodruff wrote: 
The plain facts of the business are that McGugin stood out in the South like Gulliver among the native sons of Lilliput... There was no foeman worthy of the McGugin steel.


Sportswriter Zipp Newman wrote: 
I believe Dan McGugin would have gone down in history as the greatest of all coaches had he given all of his time to coaching.
He was a great play-maker, but football was a sport for the beloved McGugin and law was his profession."

Fred Russell wrote of McGugin:
For years he ruled supreme in Dixie, and his teams won many glorious intersectional victories.
More than any one man, he was responsible for the progress of southern football.... He was the first coach to successfully work the onside kick.
He was among the first to bring out guards in the interference.... His name will never die.
McGugin died of heart failure in 1936, just two years after quitting the coaching profession and taking on the position of athletic director. At the time of his retirement, he had served longer at one institution than any other coach in America. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural 1951 class. He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1966. He was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.

Sportswriter Fuzzy Woodruff wrote: 
The plain facts of the business are that McGugin stood out in the South like Gulliver among the native sons of Lilliput... There was no foeman worthy of the McGugin steel.

Sportswriter Zipp Newman wrote: 
I believe Dan McGugin would have gone down in history as the greatest of all coaches had he given all of his time to coaching. He was a great play-maker, but football was a sport for the beloved McGugin and law was his profession."
Fred Russell wrote of McGugin:
For years he ruled supreme in Dixie, and his teams won many glorious intersectional victories. More than any one man, he was responsible for the progress of southern football.... He was the first coach to successfully work the onside kick. He was among the first to bring out guards in the interference.... His name will never die.
Dan McGugin