Legendary Vikings head coach and Hall of Famer Bud Grant has died at the age of 95

The Minnesota Vikings announced Sunday afternoon that legendary coach Bud Grant has passed away at the age of 95.

“We are absolutely devastated to announce that legendary Minnesota Vikings head coach and Hall of Famer Bud Grant passed away this morning at the age of 95,” the Vikings said said in a statement published on Twitter. “We, like all Vikings and NFL fans, are shocked and saddened by this terrible news.”

Grant coached the Vikings for 18 seasons from 1967 to 1985, posting a 158-96-5 record in the regular season and a 10-12 record in the playoffs. The Vikings reached the Super Bowl four times during his tenure, but lost each of those four games. (The Vikings won their last NFL championship game in 1969, the season before the AFL-NFL merger. They lost to AFL champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV.) The steward of the team known for The Purple People Eaters Grant coached a number of future Hall of Famers including Fran Tarkenton, Paul Krause, Alan Page, Carl Eller, Mick Tingelhoff and Ron Yary.

Grant was a three-sport (football, basketball, baseball) athlete during his playing days and was drafted in both the NFL and NBA.

He played for the Minneapolis Lakers for two years and was a member of the 1950 championship team. After completing those two seasons, Grant returned to his football career. He played two seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles and caught 56 ​​passes for 997 yards and seven touchdowns in 1952. He followed his NFL stint with four seasons with the Winnepeg Blue Bomers of the Canadian Football League.

After retiring, Grant coached the Blue Bombers from 1957 to 1966, winning four Gray Cups and a CFL Coach of the Year award before becoming head coach of the Vikings. A statue of him stands in front of the Blue Bombers stadium. From 1986 until his death in 2023, Grant was still listed as an adviser to the Vikings and maintained an office at the team’s facility. He is a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.