Norm Van Brocklin

Norm Van Brocklin - Head Coach
from 1961 - 1966
The NFL arrived in Minnesota in 1961. The Vikings first coach was Norm Van Brocklin. He called the players on his rooster the "Thirty - Six Stiffs". He was called "The Dutchman". He was 6 feet 2 inches tall and his weight was 220 pounds and was one who never minced words. He was a football man. He had brains and a will as strong as Fort Knox. He believed the force of his will could drive the team to great levels of accomplishment. The team played competitive in almost every game and in their fourth year they reached a winning record. At the end of the season they were one of the best teams in football. While coaching the team Fran Tarkenton, the quarterback never seen eye to eye with Norm Van Brocklin an his play calling and execution. They finally had the biggest spat between coach and player, that lead to the announcement of Fran Tarkenton to quit playing for the Vikings. The very next day on February 11, 1966 Norm Van Brocklin announced his retirement from coaching.

Bud Grant

Harry P. (Bud) Grant - Head Coach
from 1966 - 1983 came back in 1985
After Norm Van Brocklin announced his resignation, general manager Jim Finks called Winnipeg and invited Harry P. Grant to coach one of the worlds's most confused football teams. In three years of his coaching they were playing in the Superbowl. Bud quit in 1983 and Les Steckel became coach in 1984. Upon Les Steckels' failure they were forced to call the only guy who could rescue the team. They put a package together. One that he wouldn't refuse. It was a long term contract, but he could quit after one year. Bud came back in 1985 and everyone was satisfied. Bud never found love in the Metrodome, it didn't have the grace or bueaty of the Old Metropolitan Stadium. After the year was done he quit and still got paid until 1995. All money being in the 6 figures! Bud Grant was inducted to the Hall of Fame. He became the first person ever to be elected to both the NFL and Canadian Football League Hall of Fames. He was a Head coach for the Minnesota Vikings for 17 years in which he won a total of 168 regular season and postseason games. No one who has coach the Vikings after his era has done that well. He was with them from 1967-83 and 1985. With him the Vikings record was of 158-96-5, made the playoffs 12 times, and won 15 championships. His records are: 11 Central Division(1968-71, 1973-78, 1980) 1 NFL(1969) 3 NFC(1976) As you can see he was clearly the Best they ever had. Our hats or off to him!

Les Steckel

Les Steckel - Head Coach
1984
When Bud Grant guit as the Vikings coach in 1983, Les Steckel became the coach. The Vikings lost 13 of 16 games under his management. It was the worst since the start of the franchise in 1961. He was a former Marine. He was exuberant and intense. The narrow defeats killed the moral of the team. For the year he coached they were diffently out scored. He ran the Vikings practices like they were GI's in the Marines. As he tryed to run the team from his concepts of football and make his own prints over the same ground Bud Grant walked, it was to hard for the ground to absorb Les Steckels' prints. As the year ended Les was fired as being head coach. They thought the only way to get the team moral and keep the fans coming back the following year was to come up with a good coach. The put a package together before the end of the season and called Bud Grant to start the following year as head coach of the team. It was a package he couldn't refuse.

Jerry Burns

Jerry Burns - Head Coach
1986 - 1991
When Bud Grant step down in 1985 closing his play book forever, Jerry Burns was offered the position. He was a squirt of a guy. He had a pinched face and sharp nose. When he talked it sounded like a nasal voice. When he would talk to people it seemed to sound like he was bitching at them. When it came to his memory he had a great loss for the football players names. The team muddled along in the 80's. No great improvement. At the end of 1991 Jerry Burns was out of a coaching job. Than a new coach arrived in town. His name was Dennis Green.

Dennis Green

Dennis Green - Head Coach
1992 - present

The first year with the Vikings, the team had eight 1st - 2nd round draft choices, only two of whom had less than five years experience. Dennis Green is one of two coaches on the league's Competition Committee, which evaluates and recommends changes in playing rules, as well as regulations designed to improve the saftey of playing conditions. Upon arriving he instilled a winning attitude, particularly at home, against the NFL Central. He is one of seven people in league history to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons as head coach.

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