Bud Grant | |||||||||
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 Grant with theMinnesota Vikings in 1968 | |||||||||
| Born | Harry Peter Grant Jr. (1927-05-20)May 20, 1927 Superior, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | March 11, 2023(2023-03-11) (aged 95) Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S. | ||||||||
American football player American football career | |||||||||
| No. 86 | |||||||||
| Position: | End Defensive end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 199 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Superior Central | ||||||||
| College: | Minnesota | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1950: 1st round, 14th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
As a player: | |||||||||
As a coach: | |||||||||
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As a staff member / executive: | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| 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) | ||||||||
| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||
| Basketball career | |||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College | Minnesota | ||||||||
| NBA draft | 1950: 4th round, 47th overall pick | ||||||||
| Selected by theMinneapolis Lakers | |||||||||
| Playing career | 1949–1951 | ||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||
| Number | 14, 20 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| 1949–1951 | Minneapolis Lakers | ||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||
Harry Peter "Bud"Grant Jr. (May 20, 1927 – March 11, 2023) was an American professionalfootball player and coach in theNational Football League (NFL) andCanadian Football League (CFL). Grant was head coach of the NFL'sMinnesota Vikings 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 threeNational Football Conference championships. Before coaching the Vikings, he was the head coach of theWinnipeg Blue Bombers for 10 seasons, winning theGrey Cup four times.
Grant attended theUniversity of Minnesota and was a three-sport athlete, in football,basketball, andbaseball. After college, he played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) for theMinneapolis Lakers where he won the1950 NBA Finals. Grant left the NBA to play in the NFL with thePhiladelphia Eagles before leaving for theWinnipeg Blue Bombers of theCFL. A statue of Grant stands in front of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' current stadium,Princess Auto Stadium.
Grant is the most successful coach in Vikings history,[1] and he was the most successful in Blue Bombers history until he was surpassed byMike O'Shea during the 2024 season.[2] He is thefifth-most winningest coach in professional football history with a combined 286 wins in the NFL and CFL.[3] Grant was elected to theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 1983[4] and to thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.[5] He was the first coach to guide teams to both the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl, the only other beingMarv Levy.
Grant was born on May 20, 1927, inSuperior, Wisconsin, to Harry Peter Sr. and Bernice Grant.[6] His mother called him "Buddy Boy", which later became "Bud".[6] As a child, Grant was diagnosed withpoliomyelitis and a doctor suggested he become active in sports[7] to strengthen his weakened leg muscles over time. He started with baseball, adding basketball and football as he got older.[6] Due to a lack of organized school teams, he arranged football games between neighborhoods and contacted kids from other schools to participate.[6] During weekends, he spent time outdoors alone hunting rabbits.[6] In his late teens and college years, he played organizedbaseball in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
In 1940, Grant and two friends were duck hunting on Yellow Lake in northern Wisconsin when theArmistice Day Blizzard occurred. Grant survived by sheltering at a gas station while his friends were at a farmer's house.[8]
Grant played football, basketball, and baseball at Superior Central High School.[7][9]
He graduated from high school in 1945 and enlisted in theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II.[9] He was assigned to theGreat Lakes Naval Training Station inIllinois and played on the football team coached byPaul Brown.[9] Using an acceptance letter from theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison to be discharged from the service, Grant decided to attend the University of Minnesota instead.[9] He was a three-sport, nine-letterman[5] athlete in football, basketball, and baseball for theMinnesota Golden Gophers,[7][9] earningAll-Big Ten Conference honors in football twice.[5][9][10]
While at theUniversity of Minnesota, Grant was a member of thePhi Delta Theta fraternity.[11][12]
After leaving theUniversity of Minnesota, Grant was selected in both theNFL andNBA draft. He was selected in the first round (14th overall) of the1950 NFL draft by thePhiladelphia Eagles[13] and fourth round (47th overall) selection of theMinneapolis Lakers in the1950 NBA draft.[14] He played 35 games during the1949–50 NBA season[15] and signed with the Lakers for the1950–51 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.[6] Grant's close friendSid Hartman was the Lakers' general manager, which may have influenced his decision to remain with the team.[9] 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.[16] After the death ofArnie Ferrin in 2022, he became the oldest living NBA champion.[17]
After two seasons in the NBA, Grant decided to end his professional basketball career.[6] He contacted thePhiladelphia Eagles of theNFL[6] and agreed to play for the team during the1951 NFL season.[9] In his first season with the Eagles, Grant played as adefensive end and led the team insacks (an unofficial statistic at the time).[6][9] He switched to offense as awide 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.[9][18]
Grant's contract expired at the end of the1952 NFL season and the Eagles refused to pay him what he thought he was worth.[6] The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL had been interested in Grant while in college.[6] Grant left forWinnipeg, Manitoba in 1953 and became the first professional player to "play out his option" and leave for another team.[6][9] He played for the Blue Bombers until 1956 as anoffensive end and was named aWestern Conference all-star three times.[10][19] He led the Western Conference in pass receptions for the 1953, 1954, and 1956 seasons and receiving yards for the 1953 and 1956 seasons.[10] 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.[4][20] The Blue Bombers played for theGrey Cup in 1953, but lost to theHamilton Tiger-Cats in the41st Grey Cup game.[10]
Blue Bombers management decided that they needed a new coach prior to the1957 season.[9] 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.[6] Club president J. T. Russell thought that Grant could coach even though nobody else did.[19] 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.[21]
During his ten seasons as head coach in Winnipeg, he led the team to sixGrey Cup appearances winning the championship four times in1958,1959,1961, and1962.[22] He finished his Blue Bombers coaching career with a regular season record of 102 wins, 56 losses, and two ties and an overall record of 118 wins, 64 losses, and 3 ties.[19] Grant was theCFL Coach of the Year in 1965.[22] Grant took on additional responsibilities as a club manager between 1964 and 1966.[19]Max Winter, the Minnesota Vikings founder, contacted Grant in 1961 and asked him to coach the new NFL expansion team.[6] Grant declined the offer and remained in Winnipeg until 1967 when Winter and General ManagerJim Finks were successful in luring Grant to Minnesota.[6]
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TheMinnesota Vikings hired Grant as their head coach on March 11, 1967, taking over from their original coach,Norm Van Brocklin.[23]
Over his tenure as Vikings head coach, Grant was known for instilling discipline in his teams and displaying a lack of emotion during games.[6] 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.[3] He required his team to stand at attention in a straight line during the entirenational anthem played before the game and even had national anthem practice.[6] Grant required outdoor practice during the winter to get players used to the cold weather[9] and did not allow heaters on the sidelines during games.[6] As per the latter practice it goes that Grant posited that with the heaters present on the sidelines the players would gather around the source of the warmth but if the heaters were not present the players would be paying attention to the game.[24]
In his second year, Grant led the team to a divisional championship and his firstNFL playoffs appearance.[6] In 1969, he led the team to its firstNFL Championship and their first appearance in theSuper Bowl. The Vikings lost inSuper Bowl IV to theAmerican Football League championKansas City Chiefs. Prior to the 1970 season, Minnesota released Joe Kapp. After startingGary Cuozzo at quarterback in 1970 and 1971, the Vikings re-acquiredFran Tarkenton prior to the 1972 season. During the 1970s, the Vikings appeared in three more Super Bowls (VIII,IX, andXI) under Grant and lost each one,[9] but he was the first coach to lead a team to four Super Bowl appearances. He retired after the1983 NFL season and was succeeded byLes Steckel, who led the team to a 3–13 record the following season.[9] Steckel was fired as head coach after the1984 season and Grant returned as coach for the Vikings in 1985.[9] After one season where he returned the club to a 7–9 record, he stepped down again.[9] 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.[6] 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.[6]
Grant was the first coach to lead his teams to both a Grey Cup and a Super Bowl, with the only other one beingMarv Levy.[25]
| 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 |
| † | Won anNBA championship |
Source[26]
| Year | Team | GP | FT% | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947–48 | Minnesota | 12 | 8.2 | |
| 1948–49 | Minnesota | 21 | .737 | 8.5 |
| 1949–50 | Minnesota | 1 | 5.0 | |
| Career | 34 | 8.3 | ||
Source[27]
| 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 | |
| Year | Team | GP | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950† | Minneapolis | 11 | .400 | .500 | .6 | 3.9 | |
| 1951 | Minneapolis | 6 | .364 | 1.000 | .8 | .0 | 1.8 |
| Career | 17 | .393 | .588 | .8 | .4 | 3.2 | |
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| 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[18] | 24 | 23 | 56 | 997 | 17.8 | 84 | 7 | 4.7 | 83.1 | 4 | 3 | |
| 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 toHamilton Tiger-Cats in45th Grey Cup |
| WPG | 1958 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in WIFU Conference | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won overHamilton Tiger-Cats in46th Grey Cup |
| WPG | 1959 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in West Conference | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won overHamilton Tiger-Cats in47th Grey Cup |
| WPG | 1960 | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 1st in West Conference | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toEdmonton Eskimos in Conference Finals |
| WPG | 1961 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in West Conference | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won overHamilton Tiger-Cats in49th Grey Cup |
| WPG | 1962 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 1st in West Conference | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won overHamilton Tiger-Cats in50th 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 toHamilton Tiger-Cats in53rd Grey Cup |
| WPG | 1966 | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 2nd in West Conference | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toSaskatchewan 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 toBaltimore Colts inNFL Western Championship Game |
| MIN | 1969 | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 1st in NFL Central | 2 | 1 | .667 | WonNFL Championship. Lost toKansas City Chiefs inSuper Bowl IV |
| MIN | 1970 | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 1st in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toSan Francisco 49ers inNFC Divisional Game |
| MIN | 1971 | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 1st in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toDallas Cowboys inNFC Divisional Game |
| MIN | 1972 | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| MIN | 1973 | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 1st in NFC Central | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toMiami Dolphins inSuper Bowl VIII |
| MIN | 1974 | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 1st in NFC Central | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toPittsburgh Steelers inSuper Bowl IX |
| MIN | 1975 | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 1st in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toDallas Cowboys inNFC Divisional Game |
| MIN | 1976 | 11 | 2 | 1 | .821 | 1st in NFC Central | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toOakland Raiders inSuper Bowl XI |
| MIN | 1977 | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 1st in NFC Central | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toDallas Cowboys inNFC Championship Game |
| MIN | 1978 | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 1st in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toLos Angeles Rams inNFC Divisional Game |
| MIN | 1979 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| MIN | 1980 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 1st in NFC Central | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toPhiladelphia Eagles inNFC Divisional Game |
| MIN | 1981 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| MIN | 1982* | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 4th in NFC | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toWashington Redskins inNFC Second Round Game |
| 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 | |||
After retiring, Grant became a less prominent public figure and focused on hunting and fishing[1] as well as supporting environmental reforms. He was a spokesperson againstNative American hunting and fishing treaty rights inMinnesota. In 1993, Grant's efforts resulted in a death threat.[29] In 2005, he spoke at a Capitolrally in Minnesota for the conservation ofwetlands, wetlandwildlife, and water.[30] Grant addressed 5,000 supporters, saying, "In thislegislative session, we want to see some action. It's more important than any stadium they could ever build in this state."[31] In 1983, Grant was inducted into theCanadian Football Hall of Fame and in 1994, he would be inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame bySid Hartman, who was by then a senior Minnesota sports columnist.[4][32]
Until his death, Grant was still listed as a consultant for the Vikings and maintained an office at the team's headquarters atTCO Performance Center inEagan, Minnesota.[1][33]
In 2004, Bud Grant would be asked to return to the position of Vikings head football coach byRed McCombs, hypothetically replacingMike Tice. However, the deal would break down over the salary Grant would receive. As Grant would state afterwards, "I would have come back...for a short time, anyway. It certainly would have been exciting to do at 78 years old."[34]
In 2014, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers unveiled a statue of Coach Grant outside IG Field.[35] In 2016, Grant was inducted into the Blue Bomber ring of honour.[36]
Bud married Pat (née Patricia Nelson; born March 28, 1927) in 1950, and they had six children (Kathy, Laurie, Harry III "Peter", Mike, Bruce, and Danny). Bruce died July 25, 2018, from brain cancer.[9] Mike started coaching in 1979 at Minnetonka High School, then became the Forest Lake head coach from 1981 to 1986 and 1989 to 1991. In between those stints, Mike served as the Saint John's (Minnesota) offensive coach in 1987 and 1988. Mike has been the football head coach forEden Prairie High School inEden Prairie, Minnesota since 1992.[37] Mike Grant has coached Eden Prairie to 11 state championships since he began his tenure at the school.[38] Bud Grant's grandson Ryan Grant was aquarterback andlinebacker at Eden Prairie and played at theUniversity of Minnesota (2008–2012) as alinebacker.[39] Bud's granddaughter Jenny is married to former NFL quarterbackGibran Hamdan.[40]
Pat Grant died ofParkinson's disease on March 4, 2009, at age 81.[41]
Bud Grant died at home inBloomington, Minnesota, on March 11, 2023, at age 95.[42][43]
As of 2020, seven of Grant's assistants have become head coaches. One of these (Pete Carroll) has won the Super Bowl. Another (Marc Trestman) has won two CFLGrey Cup Championships.[44]
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