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Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. (May 20, 1927 – March 11, 2023) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). Grant was head coach of the NFL's Minnesota 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 three National Football Conference championships. Before coaching the Vikings, he was the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for 10 seasons, winning the Grey Cup four times.

Grant attended the University of Minnesota and was a three-sport athlete, in football, basketball, and baseball. After college, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis Lakers where he won the 1950 NBA Finals. Grant left the NBA to play in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles before leaving for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL. 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,<ref name="legacy" /> and he was the most successful in Blue Bombers history until he was surpassed by Mike O'Shea during the 2024 season.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He is the fifth-most winningest coach in professional football history with a combined 286 wins in the NFL and CFL.<ref name="AFM">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Grant was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1983<ref name="CFHOF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.<ref name="Grant"/> He was the first coach to guide teams to both the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl, the only other being Marv Levy. Template:TOClimit

Early lifeEdit

Grant was born on May 20, 1927, in Superior, Wisconsin, to Harry Peter Sr. and Bernice Grant.<ref name="VikingUpdate">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His mother called him "Buddy Boy", which later became "Bud".<ref name="VikingUpdate"/> As a child, Grant was diagnosed with poliomyelitis and a doctor suggested he become active in sports<ref name="Telegram"/> to strengthen his weakened leg muscles over time. He started with baseball, adding basketball and football as he got older.<ref name="VikingUpdate"/> Due to a lack of organized school teams, he arranged football games between neighborhoods and contacted kids from other schools to participate.<ref name="VikingUpdate"/> During weekends, he spent time outdoors alone hunting rabbits.<ref name="VikingUpdate"/> In his late teens and college years, he played organized baseball in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

In 1940, Grant and two friends were duck hunting on Yellow Lake in northern Wisconsin when the Armistice Day Blizzard occurred. Grant survived by sheltering at a gas station while his friends were at a farmer's house.<ref>Armistice Day Blizzard nearly claimed Bud Grant Star-Tribune, Accessed March 11, 2023</ref>

Grant played football, basketball, and baseball at Superior Central High School.<ref name="Telegram">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Manly">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Playing careerEdit

University of MinnesotaEdit

He graduated from high school in 1945 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II.<ref name="Manly"/> He was assigned to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois and played on the football team coached by Paul Brown.<ref name="Manly" /> Using an acceptance letter from the University of Wisconsin–Madison to be discharged from the service, Grant decided to attend the University of Minnesota instead.<ref name="Manly" /> He was a three-sport, nine-letterman<ref name="Grant">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> athlete in football, basketball, and baseball for the Minnesota Golden Gophers,<ref name="Telegram" /><ref name="Manly" /> earning All-Big Ten Conference honors in football twice.<ref name="Grant" /><ref name="Manly" /><ref name="PFRA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

While at the University of Minnesota, Grant was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.<ref>1947 Minnesota Gopher yearbook, p.311, accessed August 13, 2020.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Minneapolis LakersEdit

After leaving the University of Minnesota, Grant was selected in both the NFL and NBA draft. He was selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 1950 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles<ref name="HOF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and fourth round (47th overall) selection of the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1950 NBA draft.<ref name="BRDraft">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He played 35 games during the 1949–50 NBA season<ref name="LakerStats">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and signed with the Lakers for the 1950–51 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.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> Grant's close friend Sid Hartman was the Lakers' general manager, which may have influenced his decision to remain with the team.<ref name="Manly" /> 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.<ref name="BRLakers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After the death of Arnie Ferrin in 2022, he became the oldest living NBA champion.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Philadelphia EaglesEdit

After two seasons in the NBA, Grant decided to end his professional basketball career.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> He contacted the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> and agreed to play for the team during the 1951 NFL season.<ref name="Manly" /> In his first season with the Eagles, Grant played as a defensive end and led the team in sacks (an unofficial statistic at the time).<ref name="VikingUpdate" /><ref name="Manly" /> He switched to offense as a wide 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.<ref name="Manly" /><ref name="PFR"/>

Grant's contract expired at the end of the 1952 NFL season and the Eagles refused to pay him what he thought he was worth.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> The Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL had been interested in Grant while in college.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> Grant left for Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1953 and became the first professional player to "play out his option" and leave for another team.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /><ref name="Manly" /> He played for the Blue Bombers until 1956 as an offensive end and was named a Western Conference all-star three times.<ref name="PFRA" /><ref name="Manitoba">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He led the Western Conference in pass receptions for the 1953, 1954, and 1956 seasons and receiving yards for the 1953 and 1956 seasons.<ref name="PFRA" /> 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.<ref name="CFHOF"/><ref name="CFL">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Blue Bombers played for the Grey Cup in 1953, but lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 41st Grey Cup game.<ref name="PFRA" />

Coaching careerEdit

Winnipeg Blue BombersEdit

File:Grant Statue.jpg
A statue honoring Bud Grant outside IG Field in Winnipeg

Blue Bombers management decided that they needed a new coach prior to the 1957 season.<ref name="Manly" /> 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.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> Club president J. T. Russell thought that Grant could coach even though nobody else did.<ref name="Manitoba" /> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During his ten seasons as head coach in Winnipeg, he led the team to six Grey Cup appearances winning the championship four times in 1958, 1959, 1961, and 1962.<ref name="CFLStats">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="Manitoba" /> Grant was the CFL Coach of the Year in 1965.<ref name="CFLStats" /> Grant took on additional responsibilities as a club manager between 1964 and 1966.<ref name="Manitoba" /> Max Winter, the Minnesota Vikings founder, contacted Grant in 1961 and asked him to coach the new NFL expansion team.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> Grant declined the offer and remained in Winnipeg until 1967 when Winter and General Manager Jim Finks were successful in luring Grant to Minnesota.<ref name="VikingUpdate" />

Minnesota VikingsEdit

The Minnesota Vikings hired Grant as their head coach on March 11, 1967, taking over from their original coach, Norm Van Brocklin.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Over his tenure as Vikings head coach, Grant was known for instilling discipline in his teams and displaying a lack of emotion during games.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> 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.<ref name="AFM" /> He required his team to stand at attention in a straight line during the entire national anthem played before the game and even had national anthem practice.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> Grant required outdoor practice during the winter to get players used to the cold weather<ref name="Manly" /> and did not allow heaters on the sidelines during games.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In his second year, Grant led the team to a divisional championship and his first NFL playoffs appearance.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> 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. Prior to the 1970 season, Minnesota released Joe Kapp. After starting Gary Cuozzo at quarterback in 1970 and 1971, the Vikings re-acquired Fran Tarkenton prior to the 1972 season. During the 1970s, the Vikings appeared in three more Super Bowls (VIII, IX, and XI) under Grant and lost each one,<ref name="Manly" /> but he was the first coach to lead a team to four Super Bowl appearances. He retired after the 1983 NFL season and was succeeded by Les Steckel, who led the team to a 3–13 record the following season.<ref name="Manly" /> Steckel was fired as head coach after the 1984 season and Grant returned as coach for the Vikings in 1985.<ref name="Manly" /> After one season where he returned the club to a 7–9 record, he stepped down again.<ref name="Manly" /> 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.<ref name="VikingUpdate" /> 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.<ref name="VikingUpdate" />

Grant was the first coach to lead his teams to both a Grey Cup and a Super Bowl, with the only other one being Marv Levy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career playing statisticsEdit

BasketballEdit

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CollegeEdit

Source<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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

NBAEdit

Source<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Regular seasonEdit
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
PlayoffsEdit
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

FootballEdit

NFLEdit

Legend
Led the league
Bold Career high
Regular seasonEdit
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<ref name=PFR>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref> || 24 || 23 || 56 || 997 || 17.8 || 84 || 7 || 4.7 || 83.1 || 4 || 3

Head coaching recordEdit

Source<ref>{{#invoke
citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 to Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 45th Grey Cup
WPG 1958 13 3 0 .813 1st in WIFU Conference 2 0 1.000 Won over Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 46th Grey Cup
WPG 1959 12 4 0 .750 1st in West Conference 2 0 1.000 Won over Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 47th Grey Cup
WPG 1960 14 2 0 .875 1st in West Conference 0 1 .000 Lost to Edmonton Eskimos in Conference Finals
WPG 1961 13 3 0 .813 1st in West Conference 2 0 1.000 Won over Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 49th Grey Cup
WPG 1962 11 5 0 .688 1st in West Conference 2 0 1.000 Won over Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 50th 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 to Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 53rd Grey Cup
WPG 1966 8 7 1 .531 2nd in West Conference 1 1 .500 Lost to Saskatchewan 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 to Baltimore Colts in NFL Western Championship Game
MIN 1969 12 2 0 .857 1st in NFL Central 2 1 .667 Won NFL Championship. Lost to Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl IV
MIN 1970 12 2 0 .857 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to San Francisco 49ers in NFC Divisional Game
MIN 1971 11 3 0 .786 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Dallas Cowboys in NFC 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 to Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VIII
MIN 1974 10 4 0 .714 1st in NFC Central 2 1 .667 Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX
MIN 1975 12 2 0 .857 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Dallas Cowboys in NFC Divisional Game
MIN 1976 11 2 1 .821 1st in NFC Central 2 1 .667 Lost to Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XI
MIN 1977 9 5 0 .643 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to Dallas Cowboys in NFC Championship Game
MIN 1978 8 7 1 .531 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Los Angeles Rams in NFC 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 to Philadelphia Eagles in NFC 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 to Washington Redskins in NFC 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
* The 1982 NFL season was shortened to nine games due to a players' strike.

Post-coaching careerEdit

After retiring, Grant became a less prominent public figure and focused on hunting and fishing<ref name="legacy">Template:Cite news</ref> as well as supporting environmental reforms. He was a spokesperson against Native American hunting and fishing treaty rights in Minnesota. In 1993, Grant's efforts resulted in a death threat.<ref name="NYTimes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2005, he spoke at a Capitol rally in Minnesota for the conservation of wetlands, wetland wildlife, and water.<ref name="rally">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Grant addressed 5,000 supporters, saying, "In this legislative session, we want to see some action. It's more important than any stadium they could ever build in this state."<ref name="outdoors">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1983, Grant was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and in 1994, he would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame by Sid Hartman, who was by then a senior Minnesota sports columnist.<ref name="CFHOF" /><ref>Bud Grant's Career Capsule Pro Football Hall of Fame, Accessed October 19, 2020</ref>

Until his death, Grant was still listed as a consultant for the Vikings and maintained an office at the team's headquarters at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota.<ref name="legacy" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2004, Bud Grant would be asked to return to the position of Vikings head football coach by Red McCombs, hypothetically replacing Mike 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."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 2014, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers unveiled a statue of Coach Grant outside IG Field.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2016, Grant was inducted into the Blue Bomber ring of honour.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life and deathEdit

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.<ref name="Manly" /> 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 for Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota since 1992.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mike Grant has coached Eden Prairie to 11 state championships since he began his tenure at the school.<ref name=Rand>Template:Cite news</ref> Bud Grant's grandson Ryan Grant was a quarterback and linebacker at Eden Prairie and played at the University of Minnesota (2008–2012) as a linebacker.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bud's granddaughter Jenny is married to former NFL quarterback Gibran Hamdan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Pat Grant died of Parkinson's disease on March 4, 2009, at age 81.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Bud Grant died at home in Bloomington, Minnesota, on March 11, 2023, at age 95.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Coaching treeEdit

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 CFL Grey Cup Championships.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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Further readingEdit

External linksEdit

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