The Minnesota Vikings announced on Monday that the former head coach will become the newest member of their Ring of Honor in 2018.
Bud Grant has always been regarded as the best head coach in the history of the Minnesota Vikings. But the guy who led the Vikings for the majority of the 1990s did a pretty impressive job as well.
As the team’s head coach from 1992 to 2001, Dennis Green led Minnesota to eight playoff appearances and four division titles. On Monday, the team announced that Green will become the next member of the team’s Ring of Honor.
The induction ceremony will take place during halftime of the Vikings’ Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on September 23 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Unfortunately, Green will not be in attendance as he passed away in 2016. But members of his family are expected to accept the honor in his place.
Minnesota owner Mark Wilf had the following to say about the team’s newest member of their Ring of Honor.
Minnesota Vikings
"“Dennis Green’s impact on the Minnesota Vikings, and really the entire NFL, is still felt to this day. In addition to being widely regarded as one of the NFL’s top coaches, Denny was also known as a great mentor and leader by all who had the fortune of being in his presence. We’re extremely honored to forever memorialize Denny and his family in the Vikings Ring of Honor and we’re looking forward to the induction in September."
After spending three years as the lead man at Stanford University, the Vikings hired Green in 1992 as the fifth head coach in team history. He replaced Jerry Burns, who retired after the 1991 season.
Green’s hiring was a pretty epic moment in NFL history as he was just the second African-American to ever be hired as a head coach.
In his first season with Minnesota, the team won 11 games and finished atop their division for the first time since 1989. During the 10 years with Green as their head coach, the Vikings finished with a losing record just once.
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It has always felt as though his time in Minnesota was a bit under-appreciated given how successful the team was during his tenure. But Monday’s announcement definitely shows the great appreciation the Vikings organization has for Green and the outstanding work he did for the team.