The Minnesota Vikings universe got some sad news, as former head coach Dennis Green has passed away at the age of 67.
Fans of the Minnesota Vikings have a soft spot in their heart for the Dennis Green era of football. His expressive nature and willingness to be vocal made him one of the most interesting parts the franchise.
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Under Green, the Vikings found quite a bit of success. In the 10 seasons he spent as the head coach in Minnesota, the team went to the playoffs 8 times and got to the NFC Championship game twice. Although Green’s teams were unable to finish the season with a Super Bowl win, his leadership and the talent on the field helped remind fans that the Minnesota Vikings can be a winning franchise.
Most specifically, he was the head coach during the magical 1998 season that ended far too early and may have been the franchise’s best chance at winning a Super Bowl in the team’s history.
Sadly, all great things come to an end. It was reported on July, 22, 2016 that Dennis “Denny” Green had passed away due to cardiac arrest.
The report of his death came through Adam Schefter and family friend and former agent Ray Anderson, but was released through ESPN. Green was 67 years old at his time of death and leaves behind many memorable moments for fans of the Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and the NFL in general.
Green also spent 3 seasons as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. While there, he earned a lot of respect, especially from quarterback Kurt Warner:
My heart goes out to family of my former coach Denny Green - we lost a good man way too soon!
— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) July 22, 2016
While there were a lot of great moments for Dennis Green in the NFL, perhaps his most memorable moment came during a post-game press conference during his time with the Cardinals where he unleashed this now iconic speech:
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Denny Green will always hold a special place in the hearts of Vikings fans all around the world. We at The Viking Age were deeply saddened to hear this news and give our condolences to the Green family, friends, and Vikings fans everywhere.
Rest in peace, Dennis Green.