Dennis Green

Coaching Record

Years Coached Record Win % Playoff record Playoff win %
17 148-121-1 55.00% 7-10 41.18%

Coaching Tree

Parents:

Bill Walsh

Children:

Brian Billick, Tony Dungy, Mike Tice


Biography

Table of Contents

Career Summary

Dennis Green was a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 to 2006, finishing his career as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Over his seventeen years of coaching his teams compiled a cumulative win/loss record of 148-122-1. During his career he was a head coach for thirteen seasons, first with the Minnesota Vikings. He led the Vikings for ten seasons, compiling a record of 97-63-0. He was fired from the Vikings on Friday, January 4, 2002. Green was fired after ten years with the team in the midst of their worst season under his tenure. His next head coaching stint was with the Arizona Cardinals from 2004 to 2006, as he led the team to a 16-32-0 record. He was fired from the Cardinals on Monday, January 1, 2007. Green was fired after failing to turn around the Cardinals, and never posting a winning season. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 113-95-0 across thirteen seasons including going 4-8-0 in the playoffs.

Career Awards

During the 1998 season as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings he coached Randy Moss to the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Dennis Green Coaching Tree

Before he was a head coach, Green served as an assistant coach for Bill Walsh. He spent four years as an assistant coach to Bill Walsh, finishing as the wide receivers coach in 1988. During his time as head coach, three assistant coaches, (Brian Billick, Tony Dungy, and Mike Tice) on his coaching staff were hired as head coaches across the league. His coaching tree has combined for a record of 251-165-0 in the regular season and 15-14 in the playoffs during their twenty-six seasons as head coach after serving on his coaching staffs. The coaching tree has combined for two championships, most recently in 2006 by the Indianapolis Colts, led by Tony Dungy.

Personal Information

Green was born on Thursday, February 17, 1949 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He died on Friday, July 22, 2016 at the age of 67.


History

Year Position Record Playoff record
2006 Arizona Cardinals Head Coach 5-11-0 0-0
2005 Arizona Cardinals Head Coach 5-11-0 0-0
2004 Arizona Cardinals Head Coach 6-10-0 0-0
2001 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 5-10-0 0-0
2000 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 11-5-0 1-1
1999 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 10-6-0 1-1
1998 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 15-1-0 1-1
1997 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 9-7-0 1-1
1996 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 9-7-0 0-1
1995 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 8-8-0 0-0
1994 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 10-6-0 0-1
1993 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 9-7-0 0-1
1992 Minnesota Vikings Head Coach 11-5-0 0-1
1988 San Francisco 49ers Wide Receivers Coach 10-6-0 3-0
1987 San Francisco 49ers Wide Receivers Coach 13-2-0 0-1
1986 San Francisco 49ers Wide Receivers Coach 10-5-1 0-1
1985 Northwestern Wildcats Head Coach 3-8-0
1984 Northwestern Wildcats Head Coach 2-9-0
1983 Northwestern Wildcats Head Coach 2-9-0
1982 Northwestern Wildcats Head Coach 3-8-0
1981 Northwestern Wildcats Head Coach 0-11-0
1980 Stanford Cardinals Offensive Coordinator 6-5-0
1979 San Francisco 49ers Wide Receivers Coach / Special Teams Coach 2-14-0 0-0
1978 Stanford Cardinals Running Backs Coach 8-4-0
1977 Stanford Cardinals Running Backs Coach 9-3-0
1976 Iowa Hawkeyes Wide Receivers Coach 5-6-0
1975 Iowa Hawkeyes Wide Receivers Coach 3-8-0
1974 Iowa Hawkeyes Wide Receivers Coach 3-8-0
1973 Dayton Flyers Quarterbacks Coach / Wide Receivers Coach / Running Backs Coach 5-5-1

Coach history guide

Seasons with a championship win Seasons with a conference championship

Coach facts

  • Years as head coach: 13
  • Championships won: 1988
  • Conference Championships won: 1988
  • Second in total wins for the Minnesota Vikings.
  • Second in winning percentage for the Minnesota Vikings.
  • Past teams coached for: Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers
  • College Attended: Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Date of Birth: Thursday, February 17, 1949 (67 years old), Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  • Dennis Green was the first African American head coach in modern NFL history.