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DENNIS GREEN
The 1999 season marks Dennis Green's eighth campaign as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Green and Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher are the longest tenured coaches with their current NFL teams. Over the past seven years, Green has been one of the best coaches in the league at getting his players to give a consistent effort every week and every year, leading Minnesota to the playoffs in six of his seven seasons at the helm. In his seven seasons as the head coach of the Vikings, Green has guided the Vikings to a 71-41 (.634) regular season record. In addition, Green has been to postseason play in 9-of-the-past-10 years (Minnesota 1992-94, '96-98; San Francisco 1986-88) he's been associated with a NFL team and produced a remarkable 104-54-1 (.657) record in those 10 seasons.
Green's keen eye for personnel helped the Vikings have their finest season in their 38-year history in 1998. The Vikings acquired Randall Cunningham (1997) and Gary Anderson (1998) via free agency, Jimmy Hitchcock in a trade (1998) and Dwayne Rudd (1997) and Randy Moss (1998) through the draft. In 1998, Green guided the Vikings to a 15-1 regular-season record, only the third team to win 15 regular-season games in NFL history and set the NFL scoring record with 556 points. The eight-game winning streak to end the 1998 season was the longest since 1975 when the club won their first 10 games. With 15 wins, Green set his career best surpassing the 11 victories in 1992. The Vikings advanced to the NFC Championship game in 1998 for the first time since 1987. Green was named NFL Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Club and Sports Illustrated. He was also named 1998 Professional Coach of the Year in the Upper Midwest by Midwest Sports Channel.
In 1998 Dennis Green inserted backup quarterback Randall Cunningham into the starting lineup vs. Detroit (9/20). The move paid off as Cunningham went on to have the finest season of his 13-year NFL career and was chosen as the Miller Lite NFL Player of the Year. Green also took a chance on rookie Randy Moss, a wide receiver that 19 other teams passed on in the 1998 NFL Draft. Moss set numerous team and NFL rookie records and was named NFL Rookie of the Year by virtually every publication in the country.
During his seven seasons in an era of free agency, Green has led Minnesota to the playoffs with five different starting quarterbacks (1992 - Sean Salisbury, 1993 - Jim McMahon, 1994 - Warren Moon, 1996 - Brad Johnson, 1997-98 - Randall Cunningham). Green also has produced winning teams while adding young talent to the roster. Between 1992-98 the Vikings have selected 57 players of whom 48 have been on the Vikings roster and 31 have started at one point in their career with the Vikings.
Upon arriving at Minnesota, Dennis Green instilled a winning attitude, regardless of the playing surface, temperature, home or away. Since '92 the Vikings have a winning record outside (27-19), in domes (44-22), on grass (19-15), on artificial turf (52-26) and temperatures below 40 degrees (6-3). At the Metrodome under Dennis Green, Minnesota is 39-17 (.696), including 21-7 (.750) against the NFC Central and 26-10 (.722) over the past five years. The Vikings enter the 1999 season with a nine-game regular season home-winning streak.
Green is one of three head coaches on the league's Competition Committee, which evaluates and recommends changes in playing rules, as well as regulations designed to improve the safety of playing conditions. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue appointed him to this role in the fall of 1994.
As a result of injuries, the mid-season moves that Dennis Green made in 1996 and 1997 propelled the Vikings into the playoffs, and are perfect examples of his never quit attitude and why he has been successful in the NFL. Against Detroit in 1997's 15th game, Green changed six different starters on defense. That lineup included four rookies, including three - Stalin Colinet, Dwayne Rudd and Tony Williams - who made their first NFL start. John Randle moved from under tackle to start at right end in place of injured Derrick Alexander. Williams started at under tackle. Colinet started at left end in place of injured Fernando Smith. Ed McDaniel moved from weakside linebacker to start in place of injured Jeff Brady in the middle. Rudd started on the weakside. Torrian Gray started at free safety in place of injured Orlando Thomas. Minnesota held a Lions offense that had scored 155 points in its previous four games to 14 points. The Vikings then beat the Indianapolis Colts in the season finale and the New York Giants in the first-round playoff game. The underlying theme of Green's teams has been their perseverance, with no excuses and a drive to win. Paramount to that outlook has been his teams' penchant for coming from behind to win. Since '92 Minnesota has come back from fourth-quarter deficits to win 17 times, including a first-round playoff win over the Giants in 1997 in East Rutherford, NJ. Prior to Dennis Green's arrival, the Vikings had lost 10 consecutive games when they trailed in the fourth quarter. The 16-point deficit Minnesota overcame against the Giants was the biggest postseason comeback in team history, the fifth biggest in NFL playoff history and the NFL's biggest on the road in postseason since '72. The Vikings also led the NFL with a team season-record 132 fourth-quarter points in '97. Green's decision in 1996 with six games remaining to insert quarterback Brad Johnson and newly-signed running back Leroy Hoard into the starting lineup, then put 274-pound tight end Hunter Goodwin and 348-pound guard David Dixon in front of them, of them, recreated a Vikings offense that had lost its starting running back (Robert Smith) and quarterback (Warren Moon) to injuries. The revitalization of the offense was a big key as Minnesota won four of its next five games to earn a playoff berth.
In '95 Minnesota stayed in playoff contention until the final game despite playing with a young roster against the fourth toughest schedule in the league. The team also overcame the loss of starters for 42 games due to injury in'95.
In '94 the Vikings faced the fourth toughest schedule in the NFL and still came away with the NFC Central crown. By doing so, Green became one of only eight men in NFL history to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons ('92-94) as a head coach. Minnesota's success came despite one of the youngest and least experienced starting lineups in the league. Among that year's playoff teams, only New England's starters averaged fewer years of NFL experience (4.9) that Minnesota (5.1). In addition none of the '94 playoff teams had more players with 3 years or less experience among their 22 starters than the eight with the Vikings.
In '93 the Vikings qualified as a wild-card entrant with a 9-7 mark despite losing several key veterans, particularly on offense. Although four of Minnesota's final five opponents were playoff teams - including three division winners - and three of those five games were on the road, the Vikings put together a 4-1 record, including wins in their final three regular-season games for the first time since '74. In '92 Green led Minnesota to its best records (11-5) and its only division title under a first-year head coach. He earned NFL Coach of the Year honors from the Washington Touchdown Club and NFC Coach of the Year honors from United Press International and College & Pro Football Newsweekly. In addition the Vikings came within one win of tying the team season record for victories and won seven division games, the most in a season in Minnesota history. Green also became one of only 11 men since the AFL-NFL merger in '70 to lead his team to a division title in his first season as a NFL head coach. Of those 11, only two came directly from a collegiate job as Green did.
Prior to joining Minnesota, Dennis Green spent three seasons (1989-91) reviving Stanford's football program. In '88, the season before his arrival, the Cardinal posted a 3-6-2 record. In '90 Stanford upset then - No. I ranked Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. During Green's final season at Stanford in '91, he led the Cardinal to the school's longest winning streak (7) since '51; their most PAC 10 victories (6) since '70; and their first bowl appearance since '86. Only a Georgia Tech touchdown with 14 seconds left in the Aloha Bowl kept Stanford from its first postseason victory since '78.
Before taking over the helm at Stanford, Green tutored receivers for three seasons (1986-88) in San Francisco, where he helped the 49ers to a Super Bowl title following the '88 season. Under Dennis Green's tutelage, Jerry Rice twice earned NFL Player of the Year recognition and was named Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XXIII, and John Taylor played in three Pro Bowls.
Green's first head coaching opportunity came at Northwestern University from 1981-85 when Green was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. In '72 Green began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Iowa. He then spent a season (1973) as running backs/receivers coach at Dayton before returning to handle the same role at Iowa from 1974-76. In '77, Green moved on to oversee running backs at Stanford.
After seven seasons as a collegiate assistant, Dennis Green's first NFL coaching stint came in San Francisco as wide receivers/special teams coach in '79. He returned to Stanford as offensive coordinator, under current Vikings Pro Personnel Director Paul Wiggin, in '80, when Cardinal quarterback John Elway set a PAC 10 record for touchdown passes in a season with 27.
The youngest of five brothers, Green (2/17/49) grew up in Harrisburg, PA, where he earned all-state honors as a running back at John Harris High School. Green also served as class president in high school. He started a season at flanker and two seasons at running back at Iowa, where he was recruited by current Vikings Vice President Frank Gilliam, then an assistant coach with the Hawkeyes. In '68, Green, who was a teammate of current Vikings defensive backs coach Richard Solomon at Iowa, posted one of the best rushing days in school history with 175 yards and two touchdowns against Texas Christian. Green earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in '69 and '70.
Following his collegiate career, Dennis Green played defensive back briefly for British Columbia of the Canadian Football League in '71.
In '93, Green, who earned his degree in recreation education at Iowa, received Pop Warner's Golden Football Award for his distinguished record of service to youth, community, country and humanity.
An avid fisherman, Green had hosted a bass tournament to benefit the Minneapolis Boys and Girls Clubs Outdoor Programs. He also serves on their Board of Directors and as a Trustee. Green also started the "Bus Green Music Team," named after his late father, to provide musical instruments and music education for inner city youth. He also enjoys playing the drums, keeping a set at the Vikings' practice facility. During the season the Green Academic Team offers to active young students.
Green and his wife Marie donate their time to the "Meals on Wheels" program, delivering meals to senior citizens. Their other charitable endeavors include the American Red Cross, the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Paul, the Community Bridge Consortium of Maplewood, the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota, Friendship Ventures in Annandale, the Minnesota Special Olympics, the PACER Center in Minneapolis, Project Offstreets in Minneapolis, the Second Harvest Food Bank of St. Paul, The Jacob Wetterling Foundation in St. Joseph and the United Negro College Fund of Minneapolis.
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