Trailblazing Former NFL, Northwestern Coach Dennis Green Dies at 67

Dennis Green, who coached at Northwestern University from 1981 through 1985, was only the second African-American coach of a Division I football team in history

Dennis Green, the trailblazing coach that excelled at both the collegiate and professional levels, has passed away at the age of 67.

Green, who coached at Northwestern University from 1981 through 1985, was only the second African-American coach of a Division I football team in history, and he became only the second African-American coach to ever be the head coach of an NFL team when he was hired by the Minnesota Vikings in 1992.

During his career, Green’s teams went 113-94, including a 15-1 season with the Vikings in 1998, and at his stops at Northwestern and Stanford his teams went a combined 26-63 at the collegiate level.

Green, born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1949, was a star halfback at the University of Iowa, playing in three seasons for the Hawkeyes.

He never did play in the NFL, and after stints as an assistant coach at several universities, he got his first head coaching job at Northwestern in 1981.

In his five seasons in Evanston, Green’s teams never made a bowl appearance and only won seven Big Ten games, finishing with a record of 10-45.

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