Former NFL coach Dennis Green dies at 67

Former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green died early this morning after suffering cardiac arrest, per friend Ray Anderson.

Green was only 43 when the Minnesota Vikings hired him to be their head coach in 1992, making him the second African American in the modern era to hold that position in the National Football League (the Oakland Raiders hired Art Shell just three seasons earlier). His best year with the team was in 1998, when Minnesota went 15-1 and made it all the way to the NFC championship game. Green was hired by the Vikings in 1992 and went on to have a winning record in eight of his 10 seasons with Minnesota, although he never reached the Super Bowl.

AZ Crdinals president Michael Bidwell issued a statement saying, “All of us at the Cardinals are incredibly saddened by the news of Dennis Green’s passing”.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green watches from the sidelines as his team competes against the St. Louis Rams during the second quarter of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz., Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006.

Though his career ended with a disappointing tenure in Arizona, which saw the team suffer three straight losing seasons, Green remained a beloved figure amongst both players and fans. “Coach Green is going to be missed dearly by everyone that was lucky enough to know him”. “Denny made his mark in ways far beyond being an outstanding football coach”, the Vikings said in a statement.

Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy tweeted: “Just got the news of the passing of Denny Green”. That’s why we took the d-mn field. They’re what we thought they were. The scene wasn’t jarring because he was upset – of course he was upset! – it was jarring because we’re not used to coaches telling us what they actually think. If you wanna crown ’em, then crown their ass! He made one of the most cherished and lucrative destination jobs in professional sports – National Football League head coach – a possibility for many African-American men who never thought such a chance was real. He let us into his raw feelings, his natural reaction to watching his team blow a game it should have won.