After being raised and attending high school in Burlington Iowa, McCarthy received his Bachelor of Science degree from Western Illinois University then earned his Masters of Art degree from the University of Iowa

He has worked in a variety of athletic training settings including professional baseball for 8 years, and as a high school athletic trainer in the Iowa City School District and Rio Rancho New Mexico district. Additionally, he has been employed at a local private outpatient physical therapy clinic. McCarthy retired from Coe College in 2021 after 19 years of service. He was the director of athletic training services and a professor in their athletic training education program. Currently, he is employed at the University of Iowa Sports Medicine Clinic.

McCarthy has served on several state, district, and national committees. Among them is the National Athletic Trainers Association Convention Program Committee, a member of the Board of Certification's Committee for Development of 6th Role Delineation Study and on the Governor-Appointed Iowa Board of Athletic Training.

In 2006, McCarthy was inducted into the Iowa Athletic Trainer's Society Hall of Honor and in 2009 he received the Iowa Athletic Trainer's Society's Volunteer of the Year Award. He was awarded the Athletic Trainers Service Award in 2011 by the National Athletic Trainers Association at their national meeting.