Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr (born May 20, 1927) is the former longtime
American footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
head coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the
Minnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
of the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second (1967–83) and fourth (1985) head coach of the team. Prior to coaching the Vikings, he was the head coach of the
Winnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the
Canadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL) for ten seasons. Along with being the winningest coach in Vikings history, Grant is the third winningest professional football coach, behind
Don ShulaDonald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
and
George HalasGeorge Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, with a combined 290 wins in the NFL and CFL. Grant was elected to the
Canadian Football Hall of FameThe Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
in 1983 and into the
Pro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1994.
Grant attended the
University of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and was a three sport athlete in football,
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. Following college, he had a professional playing career for the Minneapolis Lakers of the
National Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA),
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL, and
Winnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the CFL.
Childhood
Bud Grant was born on May 20, 1927 in
Superior, WisconsinSuperior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
to Harry Peter Sr. and Bernice Grant. His mother called him "Buddy Boy", which later became "Bud". As a child, Grant was diagnosed with
poliomyelitisPoliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
and a doctor suggested becoming active in sports to strengthen his weakened leg muscles over time. He started with baseball then added basketball and football as he got older. Due to a lack of organized school teams, he arranged to have football games between neighborhoods and contacted kids from other schools to participate. During the weekends, he would spend time outdoors alone hunting rabbits. In his late teens and college years, he played organized
baseballTown Team Baseball is a variety of amateur baseball played in the United States. In Town Team baseball, sometimes also called townball, the teams represent either a given city or town, or a commercial enterprise which sponsors the team...
in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Family
Bud married Pat in 1950, and they had six children. Bud's son, Mike Grant, has been the football head coach for
Eden Prairie High SchoolEden Prairie High School is a four-year public high school located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The present high school opened in 1981 and was significantly added to in 1990, 1994 and 1997. Eden Prairie High School has been graduating students for over seventy years. The school was named a Blue...
in
Eden Prairie, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 54,901 people, 20,457 households, and 14,579 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 21,026 housing units at an average density of 649.2 per square mile...
since 1992. Mike Grant has coached Eden Prairie to six state championships in twelve years. Bud Grant's grandson, Ryan Grant, was a
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, and
linebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
at Eden Prairie and now he plays at the
University of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
as a
linebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. Bud's granddaughter Jenny is married to former NFL quarterback
Gibran HamdanGibran Latif Hamdan is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League and NFL Europa. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
.
Bud's wife Pat died in 2009 of Parkinson's Disease.
High school and college
Grant played football, basketball, and baseball at Superior High School. He graduated from high school in 1945 and enlisted in the Navy during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was assigned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in
IllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and played on the football team coached by
Paul BrownPaul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
. Using an acceptance letter from the
University of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
to be discharged from the service, Grant decided to attend the University of Minnesota instead. He was a three sport, nine letterman athlete in football, basketball, and baseball for the
Minnesota Golden GophersThe Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
, earning All-Big Ten honors in football twice.
Professional basketball
After leaving the University of Minnesota, Grant was selected in both the
NFLThe National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
and
NBA DraftThe NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
. He was selected in the first round (fourteenth overall) of the
1950 NFL DraftThe 1950 National Football League Draft was held on January 20–21, 1950.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and fourth round (forty-second overall) selection of the
Minneapolis LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the
1950 NBA DraftThe 1950 NBA Draft was the fourth annual draft of the National Basketball Association . This is the first draft after the Basketball Association of America was renamed the NBA. The draft was held on April 25, 1950 before the 1950–51 season. In this draft, 12 remaining NBA teams took turns...
. He played thirty-five games during the
1949-50 NBA seasonThe 1949–50 NBA season was officially the 4th season of the National Basketball Association. However, it is the first season that the league is officially called the National Basketball Association...
and signed with the Lakers for the
1950-51 NBA seasonThe 1950–51 NBA season was the 5th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Rochester Royals winning the NBA Championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
. 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. Grant's close personal friend,
Sid HartmanSid Hartman is an American sports journalist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the WCCO 830 AM radio station.-Background and early career:A high-school dropout, Hartman received no formal writing training...
, was the Lakers'
general managerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
, which may have influenced his decision to remain with the team. 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.
Professional football
After two seasons in the NBA, Grant decided to end his professional basketball career. He contacted the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL and agreed to play for the team during the
1951 NFL seasonThe 1951 NFL season was the 32nd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Baltimore Colts owner Abraham Watner faced financial difficulties, and thus gave his team and its player contracts back to the league for $50,000. However, many Baltimore fans started to protest...
. In his first season with the Eagles, Grant played as a
defensive endDefensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
and led the team in
sacksIn American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
(an unofficial statistic at the time). He switched to offense as a
wide receiverA wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for his second season with the club and ranked second in the NFL for receiving yardage, with 997 yards on fifty-six catches, including seven touchdowns.
Grant's contract expired at the end of the
1952 NFL seasonThe 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL...
and the Eagles refused to pay him what he thought he was worth. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL had been interested in Grant while in college. Grant left for Winnipeg, Canada in 1953 and became the first professional player to "play out his option" and leave for another team. He played for the Blue Bombers until 1956 as an
offensive endAn end in American football is a player who lines up at either end of the line of scrimmage. Rules state that a legal offensive formation must always consist of seven players on the line of scrimmage. An end who lines up close to the offensive line is known as a tight end, while one who lines up...
and was named a
Western ConferenceThe West Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the West Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.-Pre-1936:...
all-star three times. He led the Western Conference in pass receptions for the 1953, 1954, and 1956 seasons and receiving yards for the 1953 and 1956 seasons. He also holds the distinction of having five interceptions in a playoff game, played on October 28, 1953, which is a CFL record. The Blue Bombers played for the
Grey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
in 1953, but lost to the
Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in the
41st Grey Cup gameThe 41st Grey Cup game was the Canadian Football Championship in 1953. Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Winnipeg Blue Bombers 12-6 at Toronto's Varsity Stadium in a game which ended on a controversial pass incompletion.-Pre-game background:...
.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Blue Bombers management decided that they needed a new coach prior to the
1957 season-Canadian Football News in 1957:The Canadian Football Council allowed interference to be legal up to third 5-yard stripe by eligible blockers.The 45th annual Grey Cup game was televised live from coast to coast in Canada for the first time...
. On January 30, 1956, Grant accepted the Blue Bombers head coaching position after impressing management with his ability to make adjustments on offense and defense as a player. Club president, J.T. Russell, thought that Grant could coach even though nobody else did. Grant would remain the head coach of the Blue Bombers until 1966.
During his ten seasons as head coach in Winnipeg, he led the team to six
Grey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
appearances, winning the championship four times in
1958The 1958 CFL season was the fifth season in modern Canadian professional football, although officially it would become known as the inaugural season of the Canadian Football League .-CFL news in 1958:...
,
1959The 1959 CFL season was the sixth season in modern Canadian professional football, although officially it was the second season of the Canadian Football League.-Final regular season standings:...
,
1961The 1961 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 8th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 4th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1961:...
, and
1962The 1962 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 9th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 5th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1962:The Canadian Football Hall of Fame was established in Hamilton....
. He finished his Blue Bombers coaching career with a regular season record of 105 wins, 53 loses, and two ties and an overall record of 122 wins, 66 loses, and 3 ties. Grant was the CFL Coach of the Year in 1965. Grant took on additional responsibilities as a club manager between 1964 and 1966.
Max WinterMax Winter was a Minneapolis businessman and sport executive. Winter was born in Austria-Hungary and his family emigrated to the United States in 1913 and settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Winter graduated from high school in 1922...
, the Minnesota Vikings founder, contacted Grant in 1961 and asked him to coach the new NFL expansion team. Grant declined the offer and remained in Winnipeg until 1967 when Winter and General Manager
Jim FinksJames Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:...
were successful in luring Grant to Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings
Grant continued his coaching success in the NFL as he took over from original coach,
Norm Van BrocklinNorman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
. Over his tenure as Vikings head coach, Grant was known for instilling discipline in his teams and displaying a lack of emotion during games. 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. 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. Grant required outdoor practice during the winter to get players used to the cold weather and would not allow heaters on the sidelines during games.
In his second year, Grant led the team to a divisional championship and his first
NFL playoffsThe National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
appearance. In 1969, he led the team to its first NFL Championship and their first appearance in the
Super BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. The Vikings lost in
Super Bowl IVSuper Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
to the
American Football LeagueThe American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
champion
Kansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. During the 1970s, the Vikings would appear in three more Super Bowls (
VIIISuper Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
,
IXSuper Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
, and
XISuper Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
) under Grant and lose each one, but was the first coach to lead a team to four Super Bowls. He retired after the
1983 NFL seasonThe 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
and was succeeded by
Les SteckelLes Steckel was head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1984. He has also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Biography:...
, who led the team to a 3-13 record the following season. Steckel was fired as head coach after the
1984 seasonThe 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
and Grant returned as coach for the Vikings in 1985. After two seasons in which the Vikings failed to finish above .500, he stepped down again. Grant retired as the eighth winningest coach in NFL history with an overall record of 161 wins, 99 losses, and 5 ties. As of 2010, he also remains the most successful coach in Vikings history. During his tenure with the Vikings, he led the Vikings to four Super Bowls, eleven division titles, and four conference championships.
Head coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | 1957 -Canadian Football News in 1957:The Canadian Football Council allowed interference to be legal up to third 5-yard stripe by eligible blockers.The 45th annual Grey Cup game was televised live from coast to coast in Canada for the first time...
| 12 |
4 |
0 |
.750 |
2nd in W.I.F.U |
2 |
1 |
0.667 |
Lost to Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in 45th Grey CupThe 45th Grey Cup was the Canadian Football Council's championship game of the 1957 season, which was played on November 30, 1957. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32–7 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto....
|
| WPG The 1958 Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the WIFU division with a 13–3 record. In a rematch of the previous season's Grey Cup Final, the Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to win the 46th Grey Cup, and their first since 1941....
|
1958 The 1958 CFL season was the fifth season in modern Canadian professional football, although officially it would become known as the inaugural season of the Canadian Football League .-CFL news in 1958:...
|
13 |
3 |
0 |
.813 |
1st in WIFU Conference |
2 |
0 |
1.000 |
Won over Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in 46th Grey CupThe 46th Grey Cup was the championship game of the 1958 season of the Canadian Football League on November 29, 1958. The game was played in Vancouver's Empire Stadium before a crowd of 36,567. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 35-28...
|
| WPG The 1959 Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the WIFU division with a 12–4 record. The Blue Bombers repeated as Grey Cup champions, having defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats once again to win the 47th Grey Cup.-Preseason:-Standings:-Schedule:...
|
1959 The 1959 CFL season was the sixth season in modern Canadian professional football, although officially it was the second season of the Canadian Football League.-Final regular season standings:...
|
12 |
4 |
0 |
.750 |
1st in West Conference |
2 |
0 |
1.000 |
Won over Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in 47th Grey CupThe 47th Grey Cup was the Canadian Football League's championship game of the 1959 season on November 28, 1959.The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21 to 7 at Toronto's CNE Stadium before a crowd of 33,133-Game summary:...
|
| WPG The 1960 Winnipeg Blue Bombers, defending Grey Cup champions, finished in first place in the West Division with a league-best record of 14–2–0. Their 453 points scored were the most in the CFL...
|
1960 The 1960 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 7th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 3rd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1960:...
|
14 |
2 |
0 |
.875 |
1st in West Conference |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
Lost to Edmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
in Conference Finals |
| WPG The 1961 Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the West division with a 13–3 record. The Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to win the 49th Grey Cup.-Preseason:-Standings:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Grey Cup:-References:...
|
1961 The 1961 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 8th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 4th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1961:...
|
13 |
3 |
0 |
.813 |
1st in West Conference |
2 |
0 |
1.000 |
Won over Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in 49th Grey CupThe 49th Grey Cup was the Canadian Football League's championship game of the 1961 season on December 2, 1961. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21 to 14 at CNE Stadium in Toronto before 32,651 fans. It is considered to be one of the 10 greatest Grey Cup Games of all...
|
| WPG The 1962 Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the West division with an 11–5 record. In a rematch of the previous season's Grey Cup Final, the Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to win the 50th Grey Cup...
|
1962 The 1962 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 9th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 5th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1962:The Canadian Football Hall of Fame was established in Hamilton....
|
11 |
5 |
0 |
.688 |
1st in West Conference |
2 |
0 |
1.000 |
Won over Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in 50th Grey CupThe 50th Grey Cup, also known as the Fog Bowl, was the 1962 Grey Cup Canadian Football League championship game played between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. It remains the only Grey Cup game ever suspended during play. The Blue Bombers won...
|
| WPG |
1963 The 1963 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 10th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 6th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1963:...
|
7 |
9 |
0 |
.438 |
4th in West Conference |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| WPG |
1964 The 1964 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 11th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 7th Canadian Football League season.-Final regular season standings:...
|
1 |
14 |
1 |
.094 |
5th in West Conference |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| WPG |
1965 The 1965 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 12th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 8th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1965:...
|
11 |
5 |
0 |
.688 |
2nd in West Conference |
2 |
1 |
.667 |
Lost to Hamilton Tiger-CatsThe Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in 53rd Grey CupThe 53rd Grey Cup, also known as the Wind Bowl, was hosted at CNE Stadium in Toronto, Ontario on November 27, 1965. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 22-16.-Weather conditions and change in punting rule:...
|
| WPG |
1966 The 1966 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 13th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 9th Canadian Football League season .-CFL news in 1966:...
|
8 |
7 |
1 |
.531 |
2nd in West Conference |
1 |
1 |
.500 |
Lost to Saskatchewan RoughridersThe Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
in Conference Finals |
| CFL Total |
102 |
56 |
2 |
.644 |
|
13 |
4 |
.765 |
|
| MIN 1967 was the seventh year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of three wins, eight losses, and three ties, under their first-year head coach Bud Grant, who succeeded Norm Van Brocklin.-Notable...
|
1967 The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
|
3 |
8 |
3 |
.273 |
4th in NFL Central |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| MIN 1968 was the eighth year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 49th regular season of the National Football League. Under head coach Bud Grant, the Vikings won the NFL Central Division title with a record of eight wins and six losses, as they qualified for post-season play for the...
|
1968 The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The...
|
8 |
6 |
0 |
.571 |
1st in NFL Central |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
Lost to Baltimore Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
in Divisional Round |
| MIN 1969 was the ninth year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 50th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings again won the NFL Central Division title, as finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses, plus playoff wins over the Los Angeles Rams in the Western...
|
1969 The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
|
12 |
2 |
0 |
.857 |
1st in NFL Central |
2 |
1 |
.667 |
Lost to Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in Super Bowl IVSuper Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
|
| MIN 1970 was the tenth year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 51st regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first season of play following the AFL-NFL merger, as the Vikings played in the National Football Conference...
|
1970 The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
|
12 |
2 |
0 |
.857 |
1st in NFC Central |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
Lost to San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in Divisional Round |
| MIN 1971 was the 11th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings won the NFC Central title as they finished with a record of 11 wins and three losses, before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys at home,...
|
1971 The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
|
11 |
3 |
0 |
.786 |
1st in NFC Central |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
Lost to Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in Divisional Round |
| MIN 1972 was the 12th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of seven wins and seven losses.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-All-Pros:First Team...
|
1972 The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
|
7 |
7 |
0 |
.500 |
3rd in NFC Central |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| MIN The 1973 Minnesota Vikings season was their 13th year of play in the National Football League. The Vikings regained the NFC Central title after a disappointing 7-7 record the previous season, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses...
|
1973 The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
|
12 |
2 |
0 |
.857 |
1st in NFC Central |
2 |
1 |
.667 |
Lost to Miami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl VIIISuper Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
|
| MIN -References:...
|
1974 The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
|
10 |
4 |
0 |
.714 |
1st in NFC Central |
2 |
1 |
.667 |
Lost to Pittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in Super Bowl IXSuper Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
|
| MIN 1975 was the 15th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 56th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings won their third straight NFC Central title, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses, before losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 17-14 in the NFC...
|
1975 The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
|
12 |
2 |
0 |
.857 |
1st in NFC Central |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
Lost to Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in Divisional Round |
| MIN 1976 was the 16th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of 11 wins, two losses, and one tie. They lost Super Bowl XI to the Oakland Raiders 32-14. As of 2011, this has been the last Super Bowl...
|
1976 The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
|
11 |
2 |
1 |
.821 |
1st in NFC Central |
2 |
1 |
.667 |
Lost to Oakland RaidersThe Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XISuper Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
|
| MIN 1977 was the 17th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of nine wins and five losses. Quarterback Fran Tarkenton was injured with a broken leg in week 9 and missed the rest of the...
|
1977 The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
|
9 |
5 |
0 |
.643 |
1st in NFC Central |
1 |
1 |
.500 |
Lost to Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in NFC Championship Game |
| MIN 1978 was the 18th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eight wins, seven losses, and one tie.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:...
|
1978 The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
|
8 |
7 |
1 |
.531 |
1st in NFC Central |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
Lost to Los Angeles Rams in Divisional Round |
| MIN 1979 was the 19th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses.-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:...
|
1979 The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
|
7 |
9 |
0 |
.438 |
3rd in NFC Central |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| MIN 1980 was the 20th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 61st regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of nine wins and seven losses.-Hail Mary:...
|
1980 The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
|
9 |
7 |
0 |
.563 |
1st in NFC Central |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
Lost to Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Divisional Round |
| MIN 1981 was the 21st year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 62nd regular season of the National Football League, and the final season for the team at Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses....
|
1981 The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
|
7 |
9 |
0 |
.438 |
4th in NFC Central |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| MIN 1982 was the 22nd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. It was also Minnesota's first season of play in the newly constructed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, and the Vikings did not disappoint by starting their new stadium's history...
|
1982* The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
|
5 |
4 |
0 |
.556 |
4th in NFC |
1 |
1 |
.500 |
Lost to Washington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in Divisional Round |
| MIN 1983 was the 23nd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eight wins and eight losses.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Awards, records, and honors:...
|
1983 The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
|
8 |
8 |
0 |
.500 |
4th in NFC Central |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| MIN -Schedule:-25 year team:The team recognized an all-time team in 1985 as part of the celebration of the 25th season VIKINGS 25TH SEASON ALL-TIME TEAM 1961-85 *OFFENSE*WRs: Ahmad Rashad, Sammy White*Ts: Ron Yary, Grady Alderman*Gs: Ed White, Milt Sunde...
|
1985 The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
|
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 |
|
Post-coaching career
After coaching football, Grant became a less prominent public figure and focused his time on hunting and fishing and supporting environmental reforms. He has been a spokesperson opposing
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
huntingHunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and
fishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
treaty rights in
MinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. In 1993, Grant's efforts resulted in a death threat. In 2005, he spoke at a Capitol
rallyA demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
in Minnesota for the conservation of wetlands, wetland
wildlifeWildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
, and
waterWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. Grant addressed the five thousand 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."
He continues to maintain his connections with the Vikings as a
consultantA consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
for the team and maintains an office at the team's headquarters in Eden Prairie.
Further reading