Tony sparano, the minnesota vikings offensive line coach, died sunday at the age of 56, the team said. Tony sparano was your prototypical offensive line coach. The first 20 years of the new york yankees hit shelves in 18. Jul 22, 2018 longtime nfl coach tony sparano dead at 56. New orleans saints coach sean payton, right, congratulates thenmiami dolphins coach tony sparano at the end of a preseason game on sept. Tomlin continued to rewrite the record books in pittsburgh, becoming. The team didnt announce a cause of death but espn nfl reporter adam schefter tweeted today that sparano had chest pains thursday. Coach mike zimmer said tony sparanos death last summer put the.
Legend has it that sparano solicited ideas from outside the box on the flight home from a 3110 loss to arizona. He guided miami to an 115 mark and a firstplace finish in the afc east division in 2008, becoming the first coach in nfl history to lead a team to the postseason after a onewin campaign. Former raiders, 49ers coach tony sparano dead at 56. Minnesota vikings offensive line coach tony sparano passed away over night at the age of 56 cowboys. Minnesota vikings, nfl mourn death of coach tony sparano. Pittsburgh steelers head coach mike tomlin is the 2008 motorola nfl coach of the year, motorola and the nfl announced thursday. Timeline world history documentaries 3,812,203 views 1.
Jul 23, 2018 the minnesota vikings announced sparanos passing in a statement. Former miami dolphins coach tony sparano dead at 56. Jul 22, 2018 its officially training camp season, but the nfl world received some sad news on sunday. Former dolphins head coach tony sparano died unexpectedly, according to a team release. But the caribbean or europe never fit tony sparano, a man loyal to family routines. He began his nfl coaching career in 1999 and held head coach positions with the miami dolphins 200811 and oakland raiders 2014. The idea of putting the running back at quarterback in the shotgun formation and the quarterback at receiver was hatched. Sparanos only other head coaching experience came with the miami dolphins from 20082011.
Former cowboys, current vikings coach tony sparano passes away. San francisco 49ers head coach jim harbaugh shakes hands with oakland raiders interim head coach tony sparano at the end of their nfl game at coliseum in. Coughlin, sparano most disliked nfl coaches cbs news. Rex ryan, tony sparano deserve bame for tim tebow mess. Tony sparano record, statistics, and category ranks pro.
Jul 22, 2018 vikings offensive line coach tony sparano, 56, was found dead in his kitchen early sunday morning, causing an outpouring of condolences from both current and former nfl players. Rip tony sparano, architect of one of the nfls most. Tony sparano set nfl record for best 1 season turnaround. Sparano helped the cowboys to three playoff appearances and four winning seasons in five years 200307 on the dallas staff, including four under. Behind the shades, tony sparano gives vikings oline fresh. Sparano implemented the wildcat on offense and went on to shock the nfl by leading the dolphins to an 115 record and a. We present them here for purely educational purposes. A veteran and former head coach in the nfl, sparano had served as minnesotas of. Advertisement he was the dolphins head coach from 200811 and went 2932.
Jul 24, 2018 tony sparanos cause of death released by medical examiner in minnesota. Mia challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was overturned. Tony sparano is on the hot seat in miami, and while hes not alone, his is the hottest and he probably wont be let off of it any time soon. For his efforts, sparano was named as 2008 nfl coach of the year by the nfl. Tony sparano, a former nfl coach and a connecticut native who coached at the. Tony sparano dead, former jets offensive coordinator was 56. Between 2002 and 2007, the team failed to make the playoffs and bottomed out during the final year with a disastrous 115 record. Sparano set the nfl record for biggest oneyear turnaround, taking a team that went 115 under cam cameron and going 11. Tony sparano, a former nfl coach and a connecticut native who coached at the university of new haven, died on sunday. In his first season, sparano led the dolphins to an 115 record and the afc east division. How tony sparano influenced many members of the saints. Profootballreference utilizes official nfl data for. Tony sparano simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Sparano, who was 56, was about to start his third season as. He helped engineer the biggest turnaround in the nfl to date as sparano led the team to an 115 record and an afc east division title in his first. Mark sanchez pass complete deep left to braylon edwards for 34 yards tackle by gibril wilson. By helping to bring the wildcat to the nfl, the former dolphins coach played a. Legend has it that tony sparano solicited ideas from outside the box on the flight home from a loss 10 years ago. Sirles was the last to keep records, writing down tonyisms in the. Sparano was born in boston, massachusetts, the son of former nfl head coach tony sparano. Minnesota vikings offensive line coach tony sparano, whose nfl coaching career included a 2014 stint as interim head coach of the raiders, died unexpectedly sunday at 56. Andy reid had already solidified his status as one of the best and most influential coaches in nfl history.
The team announced sparanos death in a statement but did not specify. On january 19, 2017, it was announced that sparano would be joining the jacksonville jaguars as an assistant tight ends coach. Sherrod blakely wonders what could have happened if allen had remained a celtic. Blame rex ryan and tony sparano for the jets failed tim tebow experiment. Behind the shades, tony sparano gives vikings oline. Sparano was beginning his 20th season as an nfl coach. The science of how to look younger in 5 days duration. A year after his death, tony sparanos influence still being felt by. Jul 22, 2018 sparano coached in the nfl for two decades. He began his nfl coaching career in 1999 and held head coach positions with the. Jul 22, 2018 sparano began his nfl coaching career in 1999 with stints as a head coach with the miami dolphins and oakland raiders. Tony sparano, an nfl coach for nearly two decades, has died at age 56 twice a head coach with the miami dolphins and oakland raiders, sparano had been on the nfl sideline for 18 years and was. Sparano began his nfl coaching career in 1999 and had stints as a head coach with the miami dolphins and oakland raiders.
Sparano set the nfl record for biggest oneyear turnaround, taking a team that. Sparano was bill parcells choice to take over the 115 miami dolphins in 2008. He developed a tremendous amount of respect from those he coached and worked with. Tony sparano, whose first season as miami dolphins head coach turned into one of the biggest singleseason turnarounds in nfl history, died on sunday, the minnesota vikings announced. Jul 23, 2018 his subsequent miami teams were less successful, and the dolphins fired him in 2011 after he compiled a 2932 combined record there. Jul 22, 2018 tony sparano, offensive line coach of the minnesota vikings, died unexpectedly on sunday. Behind the shades, tony sparano gives vikings oline fresh set of eyes. Minnesota vikings offensive line coach and former miami dolphins head coach tony sparano has passed away today at the age of 56. Minnesota vikings assistant tony sparano dead at 56. Tony sparano, a former nfl head coach and now vikings. The firing was first reported espns chris mortensen and later confirmed by multiple outlets rex. Sparano made the jump to the nfl after five years as head coach 199498 of his alma mater, division ii new haven, where he compiled a 4114 record.
Tony sparano project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Back in the mid2000s, it wasnt much fun being a dolphins fan. Sparano had a long nfl coaching career, but hes perhaps bestknown for engineering a huge upset of the patriots in 2008 using the wildcat offense. As new head coach of the miami dolphins in 2008, he took the team to an 115 record after it had finished 115 the previous season, thereby becoming the only team besides the new england patriots to win the afc east during the last 15 seasons. Tony sparano, who coached with nine nfl organizations in his career, had been the vikings offensive line coach since 2016. Former cowboys assistant coach tony sparano passed away at 56. He also worked as an assistant for the browns, redskins, jaguars, cowboys and 49ers, and most recently for vikings coach mike zimmer.
In his first season as head coach, sparano s hardnosed approach guided the dolphins to an 115 record and an afc east title. A year after his death, tony sparanos influence still. History will look back at him as a mediocre head coach with a 3241 record, but. Jul 23, 2018 history will look back at him as a mediocre head coach with a 3241 record, but you cannot tell the story of the todays nfl offenses without mentioning his name. Former nfl head coach tony sparano dead at 56 arrowhead pride. Mia challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was upheld. Tony sparanos cause of death released by medical examiner in. Sparano did the right thing by being proactive about his chest pain, but perhaps it was too late.
They are members of the east division of the american football conference afc in the national football league. Jul 29, 2018 the memory of tony sparano was present to start vikings training camp, but the harsh reality is minnesota must move on and shift its focus to the 2018 season. There is a catalog in dallas, where he coached from. In his first season with miami 2008, sparano got the team from a 115 record to. The 10win turnaround tied an nfl record and sparano finished one vote behind atlanta falcons firstyear head coach mike smith in balloting for the ap coach of the year award. Jul 23, 2016 sparano finished second in nfl coach of the year voting after the dolphins went 115 and won the afc east while setting the nfl record for greatest oneyear turnaround. The nfl world reacts to the death of vikings oline coach. Tony sparano s cause of death released by medical examiner in minnesota. Minnesota vikings offensive line coach tony sparano looks on during an nfl football game between the minnesota vikings and the pittsburgh steelers on september 17. Sparano, 56, had coached with minnesota since 2016.
Vikings offensive line coach tony sparano, who compiled a 3241 record as head coach for the dolphins and raiders. Jan 08, 20 the new york jets fired offensive coordinator tony sparano after just one season with the team. Jul 23, 2018 sparano was the oakland raiders interim head coach in 2014 after the team fired dennis allen, and he went 39. In addition to his fouryear stint as head coach of the dolphins from. Tony sparano was the nfl s most unlikely visionary. New york giants head coach tom coughlin, left, and miami dolphins head coach tony sparano. Primary data provided by the official stats partner of the nfl. Tony sparano, the west haven native who rose from lee high in new haven to a head coaching job in the nfl, died unexpectedly sunday. Anthony joseph sparano iii october 7, 1961 july 22, 2018 was an american football coach. Jul 22, 2018 sparano, 56, had coached with minnesota since 2016. Sparano, 56, had been the vikings offensive line coach since 2016. Vikings offensive line coach tony sparano, who previously served as the head coach of the dolphins and the interim head coach of the raiders, in addition to a number of other coaching positions in the nfl and collegiate ranks, has passed away, per the vikings have since confirmed the news.
After several assistant coaching jobs with multiple nfl teams, the dolphins made sparano as their head coach in 2008 in the wake of a 115 season. The most memorable moment in sparano s 19year nfl coaching career came in 2008, when he was a rookie head coach with the miami dolphins, inheriting a team that had gone 115 the previous season. He has previously served as the assistant dl coach of the hartford colonials, the quality control and offense coach for the miami dolphins, and an offensive assistant for the new york jets. Sammy baugh, washington, 1937, 1940, 1943, 1945, 1947. Cbsgetty images with the nfl season half way done, most sports websites have heaped praise on whats. The miami dolphins are a professional american football franchise based in miami gardens, florida. Tony sparano s two wins have come against teams with winning records, something dennis allen was unable to do in 36 games. The most memorable moment in sparanos 19year nfl coaching career came in 2008, when he was a rookie head coach with the miami dolphins, inheriting a team that had gone 115 the previous season. Vikings offensive line coach tony sparano, who compiled a 3241 record as head coach for the dolphins and raiders, died sunday at the age of 56. Sparano posted a 2932 record in his nearly four seasons with the dolphins. Jul 22, 2018 the nfl world reacts to the death of vikings assistant coach tony sparano.
How tony sparano made his mark in miami dolphins history miami. A year after his death, exdolphins coach tony sparanos. Tony sparano, the minnesota vikings offensive line coach, during a. The sandy shores of hilton head dont attract many nfl coaches with preciously short summers. Former dolphins head coach tony sparano died unexpectedly sunday. Jul 25, 2016 behind the shades, tony sparano gives vikings oline fresh set of eyes. Minnesota vikings offensive line coach tony sparano, who spent one season as jets offensive coordinator during the rex ryan era, died early sunday morning, the vikings announced. Jul 24, 2018 sparano went to the hospital with chest pains on thursday night and was released on friday. In just his first season, sparano guided the dolphins to an 115 record and the afc east division title.
Miami tony sparano once beat bill belichick with the single wing. Sparano became the dolphins head coach in 2008 a season after the team finished 115. Why tony sparano was killed for the upcoming 99th nfl. Jul 22, 2018 the miami dolphins havent had a lot of good moments since the dawn of the new millennium. Former players heartfelt tribute to tony sparano going viral. But he changed our season and started a trend in the nfl that lasted a couple years. From one nfl team to the next sparano coached for nine nfl teams, and logged 34 years of coaching overall the books of tony multiplied. Jan, 2016 the minnesota vikings believe theyve found aid for their troubled offensive line the team is hiring tony sparano as its offensive line coach, nfl media insider ian rapoport reported wednesday. Minnesota vikings offensive line coach and former miami dolphins head coach tony sparano died. Heres a look at players who played for sparano throughout their careers among others, and their reaction of losing a good man at the young age of 56. Mia challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was overturned.
In the 2009 and 2010 seasons, sparano led the dolphins to a 79 record and third place in the afc east. Tony sparano, the former miami dolphins head coach who had been minnesotas offensive line coach since 2016, died sunday morning at the age of 56, the vikings said. Tony sparano, a new haven guy who rose through the football coaching ranks to forge a. Tony served as the vikings offensive line coach since 2016. Tony sparano, west haven native and former unh football coach. He had been the vikes offensive line coach since 2016. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Wr adam thielen joined nfl total access to talk about his.
Tony sparanos cause of death released by medical examiner. Jul 22, 2018 former dolphins head coach tony sparano died unexpectedly, according to a team release. How vontaze burfict became the most hated player in the nfl duration. Tony sparano october 7, 1961 july 22, 2018 was an american football.
Tony sparano record, statistics, and category ranks profootball. He served as the oakland raiders interim head coach in 2014 after. Exdolphins and raiders head coach tony sparano dead at 56. In his first season, he guided the dolphins to an 115 record and their first playoff berth in seven years. The jets hired sparano for the 2012 season as their offensive.
Usatsi while hes never been the fastest or most dynamic at his position, witten has quietly and steadily rewritten the nfl record books as maybe the most reliable offensive player in cowboys history. Murder by numbers tony sparano killed for minnesota. Vikings adding tony sparano as offensive line coach. Jul 23, 2018 if anything has been clear since that sad news hit the nfl world, its that sparano was a players coach, who was loved and respected by the majority of them. The oakland raiders have named tony sparano as the teams. Tony sparano, who had been an assistant with the vikings since 2016, brought the wildcat to the nfl in 2008.