At the same time a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to officially open the new football stadium that's about to represent the present and future of the Minnesota Vikings, word came that a vestige of Vikings Past is no more. Dennis Green, who coached the team for ten seasons, had died at 67.
When Green became head coach of the Vikings in 1992, he announced that there was a new sheriff in town. Now the Twin Cities wasn't Dodge City, but his main goal was to restore order to a team that had lost his way.
From 1992-2001, Green won more games (97) than any other Vikings coach besides Bud Grant, won four divisional titles, made eight playoff appearances, and brought them to within one game of the Super Bowl twice.
In the two NFC Championship games Green coached, disaster struck. In 1999, with a 15-1 team filled with stars, he chose to take a knee with seconds left in a tie game with the Atlanta Falcons. In overtime, the Falcons kicked a field goal that took them to the Super Bowl. In 2001, the Vikings were shut out by the New York Giants 41-0.
Clashes with management and some local media members, along with allegations of players quitting on him, led the Vikings to fire Green with one game remaining in the 2001 season. Assistant Mike Tice coached that last game in Baltimore, then went on to become the team's new head coach.
Green moved on to the Arizona Cardinals, where for three seasons (2004-06) he compiled a 16-32 record. His most notable moment with the Cards was following a Monday night game in 2006, in which his team blew a 20-point lead and lost to the Chicago Bears. During a postgame rant, Green shouted, "But they are who we thought they were! And we let them off the hook!". Shortly thereafter, his NFL coaching career was finished.
Green was also a trail blazer in becoming one of the first African-American head coaches in the NFL. Before that, he held the same distinction in the Division I college ranks, having had successful stints at Northwestern and Stanford. Three of his assistants--Brian Billick, Tony Dungy and Mike Tice--have gone on to coach other NFL teams.
Dennis Green was a passionate coach who found ways to motivate his players and get the results he wanted, winning everywhere he's been. Yes, he was a part of the legacy of Vikings Past. But what he brought to the field should be an inspiration for Vikings Future.
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