“They Are Who We Thought They Were.” Those famous words from beloved coach Dennis Green will be remembered forever. Green was coaching the Arizona Cardinals when he said them, but is best known for his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. He passed away last night at the age of 67.
Former NFL Coach Dennis Green Passes Away
Thursday night had an unpleasant end to it for Dennis Green’s family and friends. Cardiac arrest led to the passing of the former coach. Green was a successful NFL coach that compiled an overall record of 113-94. Although his Arizona Cardinals media sound bites will live on forever, Green’s coaching success came much earlier with the Vikings.
A record of 97-62 over 10 seasons turned the Vikings franchise around and saw players like Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper become household names. In 1998, the Vikings set the (at the time) record for most points scored in a single season. That team ended up losing in the NFC Championship game which unfortunately started the removal of Green.
Loved by his family, friends, colleagues, and much of the NFL community, Green will be sorely missed. Randall Cunningham attributes much of his personal success directly to Green. “He would give these speeches that would motivate you…we as players wanted to follow him.” Kurt Warner tweeted out, “My heart goes out to family of my former coach Denny Green – we lost a good man way too soon!”
Legacy
Green was not just a good coach and good person, but also broke boundaries in the coaching realm. As only the second ever African-American head coach in the NFL, Green’s success cannot be put into words. The 15-1 Minnesota Vikings were, at the time, the most successful season an African-American coach had ever had. Prior to the NFL, Green had also had great success as a college coach whilst also setting a path for future African-American coaches. When hired at Northwestern, Green was only the second head coach in Division 1 history. In his second season with Northwestern, Green was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
The legacy, contributions, and success of Dennis Green will be remembered and cherished by those he affected. On and off the field, Dennis Green had many significant accomplishments and he will be missed by many.
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