Former Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green died Thursday night after suffering a heart attack. He was 67.
“Dennis passed away last night from complications of cardiac arrest,” Green’s family said in a statement Friday morning. “His family was by his side, and he fought hard.”
Green made eight playoff appearances in 10 seasons with the Vikings and reached the NFC Championship Game in 1998 and 2000. He led the Vikings to a 15-1 regular season in 1998.
“Denny made his mark in ways far beyond being an outstanding football coach,” the Vikings said in a statement. “He mentored countless players and served as a father figure for the men he coached. Denny founded the Vikings Community Tuesday Program, a critical initiative that is now implemented across the entire NFL. He took great pride in helping assistant coaches advance their careers. His tenure as one of the first African-American head coaches in both college and the NFL was also transformative.”
Green finished his career in 2006 with a 113-94 overall record in 13 seasons as a head coach and a 4-8 mark in the postseason.
Green spent 17 years as a coach in the NFL. He was a special teams coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers for a year and later their wide receivers coach for three seasons in the 1980s under head coach Bill Walsh.
After a stint as the head coach of Stanford University (1989-1991), Green returned to the NFL and led the Vikings from 1992 through 2001. He returned three years later as the head coach of the Cardinals from 2004 through 2006.
The passionate Green is fondly remembered for his 2006 postgame meltdown as coach of the Cardinals, ranting after Arizona blew a 20-0 halftime lead to lose to the Chicago Bears on “Monday Night Football” in 2006: “They are who we thought they were, and we let ‘em off the hook!”
“All of us at the Cardinals are incredibly saddened by the news of Dennis Green’s passing. Coach Green will rightly be remembered as a true innovator, leader and pioneer among football coaches,” Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “We express our deepest sympathy to his family and his many friends.”
Green also served as a head coach at Northwestern (1981-1985). He was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1982.
Former Vikings running back Robert Smith, now a FOX Sports college football analyst, posted a message on Twitter: “Rest in peace Denny. I lost my mother in April, I feel like I just lost father.”
Quarterback Kurt Warner, who joined the Cardinals in 2005 under Green, tweeted: “My heart goes out to family of my former coach Denny Green — we lost a good man way too soon!”
Mike Tice, who served on Green’s staff in Minnesota and succeeded him as head coach, called Green a “great motivator of men.”
“Great teacher of coaches. Excellent eye for talent,” Tice told ESPN. “I hadn’t seen Denny in years, but I find myself quoting him: ‘Plan your work and work your plan.’ He taught me a lot.”
Troy Vincent, the NFL executive vice president of football operations, said in a statement: “We are saddened to hear the news of Dennis Green’s passing. Denny was a terrific head coach and inspired his players on and off the field. He helped pave the way for minority coaches and recently served as a key advisor on the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel. On behalf of the NFL, our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Green family.”
Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy tweeted: “Just got the news of the passing of Denny Green. He did so much for me. Was looking forward to saying thanks at HOF. Tomorrow not promised.”