Bud Grant - Definition and Overview

Harry Peter "Bud" Grant (born May 20, 1927) is best known as the legendary head coach of the American football team the Minnesota Vikings.

Bud Grant was born in Superior, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Minnesota. He starred in three sports for the Golden Gophers, American football, basketball, and baseball.

After leaving the University of Minnesota in 1949, he first played professional basketball with the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers, averaging 2.6 ppg in his two seasons. He was selected in the first round of the NFL's college draft in 1950 by the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1953 Bud Grant signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He played for that team until 1956 when he was made head coach of the team. He would remain the head coach of the Blue Bombers until 1966. He led the team to the Grey Cup for six years and the Bombers won four titles.

Grant was named the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1967. In his second year, he led the team to a divisional championship. In 1969, he led the team to its first NFL Championship and their first appearance in the Super Bowl. The team lost that game to the American Football League champions Kansas City Chiefs. The Vikings would appear in 3 more Super Bowls under Grant and lose each one. However, he was the first coach to coach in four Super Bowls. Grant's team won 11 divisional championships between 1968 and 1980. Bud Grant retired after the 1983 season. He returned as coach for the Vikings in 1985 and then retired for a second time.

Bud Grant is a member of both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the US Pro Football Hall of Fame.

External links

• Pro-Football-Reference.com (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/GranBu00.htm) - career statistics
• Bud Grant (http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=79) at the Pro Football Hall of Fame