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Bud Grant

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For the American television executive, see Bud Grant (broadcaster).
Bud Grant
File:Bud Grant 2019 (48977735518) (cropped).jpg
Grant in 2019
Born Harry Peter Grant Jr.
(1927-05-20)May 20, 1927
Superior, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Bloomington, Minnesota
Football career
No. 86
Position: End,
Defensive end
Personal information
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Weight: Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).
Career information
High school: Superior Central
(Superior, WI)
College: Minnesota
NFL draft: 1950 / Round: 1 / Pick: 14
Career history
As player:
As coach:
As executive:
  • Minnesota Vikings (1986–2022)
    Consultant
Career highlights and awards
As a coach
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 56
Receiving yards: 997
Receiving touchdowns: 7
Player stats at NFL.com
Head coaching record
Regular season: NFL: 158–96–5 (.620)
CFL: 102–56–2 (.644)
Postseason: NFL: 10–12 (.455)
CFL: 16–8–1 (.660)
Career: NFL: 168–108–5 (.607)
CFL: 118–64–3 (.646)
Player stats at PFR
Coaching stats at PFR
Basketball career
Career information
College Minnesota
NBA draft 1950 / Round: 4 / Pick: 47th overall
Selected by the Minneapolis Lakers
Playing career 1949–1951
Position Forward
Number 14, 20
Career history
1949–1951 Minneapolis Lakers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. (May 20, 1927 – March 11, 2023) was an American football player and head coach, and a player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Grant served as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons; he was the team's second (1967–83) and fourth (1985) head coach, leading them to four Super Bowl appearances, 11 division titles, one league championship and three National Football Conference championships.

Grant attended the University of Minnesota and was a three-sport athlete, in football, basketball, and baseball. After college, he played for the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBA, the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL. A statue of Grant stands in front of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' current stadium, IG Field.

Before coaching the Vikings, he was the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) for ten seasons, winning the Grey Cup four times. Grant is the most successful coach in Vikings history,[1] and the fifth most successful professional football coach overall with a combined 286 wins in the NFL and CFL.[2] Grant was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1983[3] and to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.[4] He was the first coach to guide teams to the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl, the only other being Marv Levy.

Early life

Bud Grant was born on May 20, 1927, in Superior, Wisconsin, to Harry Peter Sr. and Bernice Grant.[5] His mother called him "Buddy Boy", which later became "Bud".[5] As a child, Grant was diagnosed with poliomyelitis and a doctor suggested he become active in sports[6] to strengthen his weakened leg muscles over time. He started with baseball, adding basketball and football as he got older.[5] Due to a lack of organized school teams, he arranged football games between neighborhoods and contacted kids from other schools to participate.[5] During weekends, he spent time outdoors alone hunting rabbits.[5] In his late teens and college years, he played organized baseball in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Playing career

High school and college

Grant played football, basketball, and baseball at Superior High School.[6][7] He graduated from high school in 1945 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy[7] during World War II. He was assigned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois and played on the football team coached by Paul Brown.[7] Using an acceptance letter from the University of Wisconsin–Madison to be discharged from the service, Grant decided to attend the University of Minnesota instead.[7] He was a three-sport, nine-letterman[4] athlete in football, basketball, and baseball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers,[6][7] earning All-Big Ten Conference honors in football twice.[4][7][8] While at the University of Minnesota, Grant was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.[9]

Professional basketball

After leaving the University of Minnesota, Grant was selected in both the NFL and NBA Draft. He was selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 1950 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles[10] and fourth round (47th overall) selection of the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1950 NBA draft.[11] He played 35 games during the 1949–50 NBA season[12] and signed with the Lakers for the 1950–51 NBA season. He chose to continue his basketball career with the Lakers because they were local and because he was offered a raise to stay for the season.[5] Grant's close friend Sid Hartman was the Lakers' general manager, which may have influenced his decision to remain with the team.[7] He averaged 2.6 points per game in his two seasons as a reserve with the Lakers and was a member of the 1950 championship team.[13] After the death of Arnie Ferrin in 2022, he became the oldest living NBA Champion.[citation needed]

Professional football

After two seasons in the NBA, Grant decided to end his professional basketball career.[5] He contacted the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL[5] and agreed to play for the team during the 1951 NFL season.[7] In his first season with the Eagles, Grant played as a defensive end and led the team in sacks (an unofficial statistic at the time).[5][7] He switched to offense as a wide receiver for his second season with the club and ranked second in the NFL for receiving yardage, with 997 yards on 56 catches, including seven touchdowns.[7][14]

Grant's contract expired at the end of the 1952 NFL season and the Eagles refused to pay him what he thought he was worth.[5] The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL had been interested in Grant while in college.[5] Grant left for Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1953 and became the first professional player to "play out his option" and leave for another team.[5][7] He played for the Blue Bombers until 1956 as an offensive end and was named a Western Conference all-star three times.[8][15] He led the Western Conference in pass receptions for the 1953, 1954, and 1956 seasons and receiving yards for the 1953 and 1956 seasons.[8] He also holds the distinction of having made five interceptions in a playoff game, played on October 28, 1953, which is a record in all of professional football.[3][16] The Blue Bombers played for the Grey Cup in 1953, but lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 41st Grey Cup game.[8]

Coaching career

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Blue Bombers management decided that they needed a new coach prior to the 1957 season.[7] On January 30, 1957, Grant accepted the Blue Bombers head coaching position after impressing management with his ability to make adjustments on offense and defense as a player.[5] Club president J. T. Russell thought that Grant could coach even though nobody else did.[15] Grant remained the head coach of the Blue Bombers until 1966. At age 29 (he was 30 by the time he coached his first game), Grant became the youngest head coach in CFL history.[17]

During his ten seasons as head coach in Winnipeg, he led the team to six Grey Cup appearances, winning the championship four times in 1958, 1959, 1961, and 1962.[18] He finished his Blue Bombers coaching career with a regular season record of 105 wins, 53 losses, and two ties and an overall record of 122 wins, 66 losses, and 3 ties.[15] Grant was the CFL Coach of the Year in 1965.[18] Grant took on additional responsibilities as a club manager between 1964 and 1966.[15] Max Winter, the Minnesota Vikings founder, contacted Grant in 1961 and asked him to coach the new NFL expansion team.[5] Grant declined the offer and remained in Winnipeg until 1967 when Winter and General Manager Jim Finks were successful in luring Grant to Minnesota.[5]

Minnesota Vikings

Candid black-and-white head-and-shoulders photograph of Grant smiling and wearing a Minnesota Vikings baseball cap
Bud Grant in 1968

The Minnesota Vikings hired Grant as their head coach on March 10, 1967, taking over from their original coach, Norm Van Brocklin.[7] Over his tenure as Vikings head coach, Grant was known for instilling discipline in his teams and displaying a lack of emotion during games.[5] He believed that football is a game of controlled emotion and teams would not follow the coach's lead if he were to panic or lose his poise during the course of a game.[2] He required his team to stand at attention in a straight line during the entire national anthem played before the game and even had national anthem practice.[5] Grant required outdoor practice during the winter to get players used to the cold weather[7] and did not allow heaters on the sidelines during games.[5]. Asper the latter it goes that he posited that with heaters the players while in the sidelines were gathered around the but if they were not present the players were would be paying attention to the game.[19]

Grant and Finks orchestrated a rare (although unofficial) trade between leagues, which brought Joe Kapp from the BC Lions to the Vikings. In return, the Vikings sent Jim Young, a Canadian-born player, back to his native country. Officially, both players were waived out of their respective leagues and signed with their new teams as free agents, but effectively, it was a straight exchange.

In his second year, Grant led the team to a divisional championship and his first NFL playoffs appearance.[5] In 1969, he led the team to its first NFL Championship and their first appearance in the Super Bowl. The Vikings lost in Super Bowl IV to the American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs. Prior to the 1970 season, Minnesota released Joe Kapp. After starting Gary Cuozzo at quarterback in 1970 and 1971, the Vikings re-acquired Fran Tarkenton prior to the 1972 season. During the 1970s, the Vikings appeared in three more Super Bowls (VIII, IX, and XI) under Grant and lost each one,[7] but he was the first coach to lead a team to four Super Bowl appearances. He retired after the 1983 NFL season and was succeeded by Les Steckel, who led the team to a 3–13 record the following season.[7] Steckel was fired as head coach after the 1984 season and Grant returned as coach for the Vikings in 1985.[7] After one season where he returned the club to a 7–9 record, he stepped down again.[7] Grant retired as the eighth most successful coach in NFL history with an overall record of 161 wins, 99 losses, and 5 ties. As of 2021, he also remains the most successful coach in Vikings history.[5] During his tenure with the Vikings, he led the Vikings to four Super Bowl games, 11 division titles, one league championship, and three NFC championships.[5]

Career statistics

NBA

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Source[20]

Regular season

Year Team GP FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1949–50† Minneapolis 35 .365 .412 .5 2.6
1950–51 Minneapolis 61 .288 .627 1.9 1.2 2.6
Career 96 .318 .590 1.9 .9 2.6

Playoffs

Year Team GP FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1949–50† Minneapolis 11 .400 .500 .6 3.9
1950–51 Minneapolis 6 .364 1.000 .8 .0 1.8
Career 17 .393 .588 .8 .4 3.2

NFL

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team Games Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD R/G Y/G Fum FR
1951 PHI 12 11 0 0 – 0 0 0 0 0 2
1952 PHI 12 12 56 997 17.8 84 7 4.7 83.1 4 1
Career[14] 24 23 56 997 17.8 84 7 4.7 83.1 4 3

Head coaching record

Source[21]
Team Year Regular season Post-season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
WPG 1957 12 4 0 .750 2nd in W.I.F.U 2 1 0.667 Lost to Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 45th Grey Cup
WPG 1958 13 3 0 .813 1st in WIFU Conference 2 0 1.000 Won over Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 46th Grey Cup
WPG 1959 12 4 0 .750 1st in West Conference 2 0 1.000 Won over Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 47th Grey Cup
WPG 1960 14 2 0 .875 1st in West Conference 0 1 .000 Lost to Edmonton Eskimos in Conference Finals
WPG 1961 13 3 0 .813 1st in West Conference 2 0 1.000 Won over Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 49th Grey Cup
WPG 1962 11 5 0 .688 1st in West Conference 2 0 1.000 Won over Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 50th Grey Cup
WPG 1963 7 9 0 .438 4th in West Conference – – – –
WPG 1964 1 14 1 .094 5th in West Conference – – – –
WPG 1965 11 5 0 .688 2nd in West Conference 2 1 .667 Lost to Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 53rd Grey Cup
WPG 1966 8 7 1 .531 2nd in West Conference 1 1 .500 Lost to Saskatchewan Roughriders in Conference Finals
CFL Total 102 56 2 .644 13 4 .765
MIN 1967 3 8 3 .273 4th in NFL Central – – – –
MIN 1968 8 6 0 .571 1st in NFL Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Baltimore Colts in Divisional Round
MIN 1969 12 2 0 .857 1st in NFL Central 2 1 .667 Won NFL Championship. Lost to Chiefs in Super Bowl IV
MIN 1970 12 2 0 .857 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to San Francisco 49ers in Divisional Round
MIN 1971 11 3 0 .786 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Dallas Cowboys in Divisional Round
MIN 1972 7 7 0 .500 3rd in NFC Central – – – –
MIN 1973 12 2 0 .857 1st in NFC Central 2 1 .667 Lost to Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII
MIN 1974 10 4 0 .714 1st in NFC Central 2 1 .667 Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX
MIN 1975 12 2 0 .857 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Dallas Cowboys in Divisional Round
MIN 1976 11 2 1 .821 1st in NFC Central 2 1 .667 Lost to Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI
MIN 1977 9 5 0 .643 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to Dallas Cowboys in NFC Championship Game
MIN 1978 8 7 1 .531 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Los Angeles Rams in Divisional Round
MIN 1979 7 9 0 .438 3rd in NFC Central – – – –
MIN 1980 9 7 0 .563 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Philadelphia Eagles in Divisional Round
MIN 1981 7 9 0 .438 4th in NFC Central – – – –
MIN 1982* 5 4 0 .556 4th in NFC 1 1 .500 Lost to Washington Redskins in Divisional Round
MIN 1983 8 8 0 .500 4th in NFC Central – – – –
MIN 1985 7 9 0 .438 3rd in NFC Central – – – –
NFL Total 158 96 5 .622 10 12 .455
Total 260 152 7 .629 23 16 .590
* The 1982 NFL season was shortened to nine games due to a players' strike.

Post-coaching career

After retiring, Grant became a less prominent public figure and focused on hunting and fishing[1] and supporting environmental reforms. He was a spokesperson against Native American hunting and fishing treaty rights in Minnesota. In 1993, Grant's efforts resulted in a death threat.[22] In 2005, he spoke at a Capitol rally in Minnesota for the conservation of wetlands, wetland wildlife, and water.[23] Grant addressed 5,000 supporters, saying, "In this legislative session, we want to see some action. It's more important than any stadium they could ever build in this state."[24] In 1994, Grant would be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame by Sid Hartman, who was by then a senior Minnesota sports columnist.[25]

Until his death, Grant was still listed as a consultant for the Vikings and maintained an office at the team's headquarters at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota.[1][26]

In 2014, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers unveiled a statue of Coach Grant outside IG Field.[27] In 2016, Grant was inducted into the Blue Bomber ring of honour.[28]

Personal life

Bud married Pat (formerly Patricia Nelson; born March 28, 1927) in 1950, and they had six children. (Kathy, Laurie, Peter, Mike, Bruce, and Danny) Bruce died July 25, 2018, from brain cancer.[7] Their son Mike Grant started coaching in 1979 at Minnetonka HS, then became the Forest Lake head coach from 1981 to 1986 and 1989 to 1991. Mike has been the football head coach for Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota since 1992.[29] Mike Grant has coached Eden Prairie to 11 state championships sincehe began his tenure at the school.[30] Bud Grant's grandson Ryan Grant was a quarterback and linebacker at Eden Prairie and played at the University of Minnesota (2008–2012) as a linebacker.[31] Grant's granddaughter Jenny is married to former NFL quarterback Gibran Hamdan.[32]

Pat (Nelson) Grant died of Parkinson's disease March 4, 2009 at age 81.[33]

Bud Grant died in his home in Bloomington, Minnesota on March 11, 2023 at the age of 95.[34][35]

Coaching tree

As of 2020, seven of Grant's assistants have become head coaches, and one has won the Super Bowl.[36]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 1947 Minnesota Gopher yearbook, p.311, accessed August 13, 2020.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ https://www.nfl.com/news/ex-vikings-hc-bud-grant-s-insane-cold-weather-rituals-0ap3000000618782
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Bud Grant's Career Capsule Pro Football Hall of Fame, Accessed October 19, 2020
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/blue-bombers-unveil-statue-of-coaching-legend-bud-grant-1.2810492
  28. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/blue-bombers-ring-honour-bud-grant-1.3778990
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

  • Bruton, Jim, Grant, Bud, I Did It My Way: A Remarkable Journey to the Hall of Fame, published by Triumph Books, 2013, ISBN 9781600787867
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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