The National Football League mourns the loss of legendary coach, broadcaster, and innovator John Madden. He passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning at the age of 85, the NFL announced.
A sad day for football, who lost a true icon. Besides being an inspiration for different generations for his contribution to the game as a head coach, broadcaster, and eventually face of the popular video game, Madden has also been an example of overcoming adversity.
His life at the NFL got off to a tough start, as a knee injury in his rookie season prematurely ended his playing career not long after the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the 21st round of the 1958 NFL Draft. However, that didn't prevent Madden from becoming a legend of the game.
What team did John Madden coach?
John Madden only served for the Oakland Raiders as a head coach in the NFL, spending an unforgettable ten-year tenure (1969-1978) at the helm of the team. But before taking the reins of the Raiders, he worked as the team's linebackers coach (1967-1968).
Prior joining Oakland, Madden served as defensive coordinator at San Diego State (1964-1966). Previously, he worked at Hancock Junior College in Santa Maria, California, as head coach (1962-1963) and assistant coach (1960-1961).
John Madden's NFL records as head coach
John Madden broke a record as soon as the Raiders named him their head coach in 1969. Madden, who was 32 years old by then, became the youngest head coach in the American Football League at that time. Besides, he was named American Football League Coach of the Year in his first season, when the Raiders had a 12-1-1 record to win the AFL Western Division title.
What impresses the most about Madden's experience as head coach is that he didn't need to spend more than a decade in the league to make history. Having served only for the Raiders, 10 years were enough for him to leave an indelible mark.
With a regular season record of 103 wins, 32 losses and 7 ties, John Madden's .759 win percentage as a head coach is the highest in the NFL among coaches with at least 100 games. Besides, all his 103 victories came with the Oakland Raiders, which is still a franchise record. On top of that, in all 10 seasons under John Madden, the Raiders finished with a winning record. Those 10 years without having a losing record were part of a 16-year streak of consecutive winning seasons that ran from 1965 to 1980, which is tied with the 49ers' run between 1983 and 1998 as the third best of all time.
John Madden's pinnacle as head coach of the Raiders came in the 1976 season, when he led them to a fantastic 32-14 triumph over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. That year, they almost had a perfect record, missing by one game to do so (13-1).
For those who have mostly known Madden as an iconic broadcaster and for the famous football video game named after him, it's important to also have an idea of what he's done during his wonderful time as NFL coach.
