Bud Grant

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Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr (born May 20, 1927) is best known as the longtime head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was the second (1967-83) and fourth (1985) head coach of the team. In Canada he is just as well known for his success with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.

He was born in Superior, Wisconsin. His mother called him "Buddy Boy", which later became "Bud".^[1] Bud graduated from high school in 1945 and with World War II still going enlisted in the Navy. He was assigned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, where he was coached by Paul Brown. Grant had played fullback in high school, but with a big guy named Marion Motley at fullback, Bud switched to End. After being discharged, he attended the University of Minnesota. He starred in three sports for the Golden Gophers: American football, basketball, and baseball.

After leaving the University of Minnesota in 1949, he first played professional basketball with the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers, averaging 2.6 ppg in his two seasons. Bud was a player on the Minneapolis Lakers 1950 championship team.^[2] He was selected in the first round (14th overall) of the NFL's college draft in 1950 by the Philadelphia Eagles.^[3] Grant did not sign with the Eagles in 1950, instead he returned to the Lakers for the 1950-51 season. Grant signed with the Eagles before the 1951 season. In the 1952 season, his second with the Eagles, Grant ranked second in the NFL for receiving yardage, with 997 yards on 56 catches, including seven touchdowns. Bud did not sign a contract before the 1952 season, meaning he was "playing out" the team option from his 1951 contract. That meant that after the 1952 season Bud was a free agent.

At this time, playing in Canada was just as (if not more) lucrative as playing in the United States, so in 1953, Bud Grant signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He played for the Blue Bombers until 1956 as an offensive end and was named a Western Division all-star three times. Grant still holds the CFL record of 5 interceptions in a playoff game (Oct. 28, 1953). ^[4] In 1956 Grant was made head coach of the Blue Bombers. He would remain the head coach of the Blue Bombers until 1966. During his stint as head coach, he led the team to six Grey Cup appearances, winning the championship four times.

Grant continued his coaching success in the National Football League. Desiring to be closer to home, Grant signed on as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1967, taking over for original coach Norm Van Brocklin. Grant required his team to stand at attention in a straight line during the entire national anthem and even had national anthem practice. To get his players to deal with the cold weather, Grant refused to allow heaters on the sidelines. ^[5]

In his second year, he led the team to a divisional championship. 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. The Vikings would appear in 3 more Super Bowls under Grant and lose each one. However, he was the first coach to coach in four Super Bowls. Grant's team won 11 divisional championships between 1968 and 1980. Bud Grant retired after the 1983 season and was followed in the post by Les Steckel, who led the team through a 3–13 season. Grant returned as coach for the Vikings in 1985 and then retired for a second time, succeeded by Jerry Burns.

Bud Grant is a member of both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the U.S. Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Off the sidelines, Bud Grant is well known as an avid hunter and fisherman. In the early 90s, he became a spokesperson opposing certain Native American treaty rights. This resulted in a death threat, as reported by the NY Times.

As of 2006, Bud's son, Mike, has been the head coach for Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, for the past 15 years. In 2006, Mike's son and Bud's grandson, Ryan, is a junior at the school and is the team's quarterback.

[edit] References

1. ^ Bud Grant Essay: Part One by Roger Welk
2. ^ 1950 Minneapolis Lakers Basketball-Reference.com
3. ^ The 1950 NFL Draft Pro Football Hall of Fame website
4. ^ Most Interceptions, Playoff Game Official site of the Canadian Football League
5. ^ History: Bud Grant Viking Update Staff

[edit] External links

• Pro-Football-Reference.com - career statistics.
• Bud Grant at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Bud Grant at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
• Grant's Bust at the Hall of Fame
• NBA stats @ basketballreference.com
• Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame profile

Preceded by Class of 1982	Canadian Football Hall of Fame Class of 1983	Succeeded by Class of 1984
Preceded by Al Sherman	Winnipeg Blue Bombers Head Coaches 1957-1966	Succeeded by Joe Zaleski
Preceded by Class of 1993	Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1994	Succeeded by Class of 1995
Preceded by Norm Van Brocklin	Minnesota Vikings Head Coaches 1967–1983	Succeeded by Les Steckel
Preceded by Les Steckel	Minnesota Vikings Head Coaches 1985	Succeeded by Jerry Burns

Minnesota Vikings Head Coaches
Van Brocklin • Grant • Steckel • Burns • Green • Tice • Childress