The NFL announced sad news today—the great John Madden has died unexpectedly this morning at the age of 85.
"On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell via a statement issued by the league. "We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.
"Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today."
Madden was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969-78. Later, he was one of the most well-known and recognized broadcast commentators, spending time with CBS (1979–1993), Fox(1994–2001), ABC (2002–2005), and NBC (2006–2008). Younger fans know him as the namesake of the Madden NFL video game series played by millions.
One way or another, everyone knows his name. The sports icon will be missed.
The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Madden out of Cal Poly in 1958, but a knee injury ended his NFL career before he could play professionally. He joined the Raiders in 1967 as a linebackers coach. Two years later, he was named the head coach at the age of 32, leading Oakland to a 12-1-1 record in his first season. Madden won Super Bowl XI with the Raiders.
Madden retired from coaching in 1978, finishing with an overall record of 103-32-7. His .759 winning percentage is the best among coaches with 100-or-more games.
Madden retired from his broadcast career after the 2008 season. He won 16 Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sports Analyst/Personality. In 2006, Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his coaching career.