Longtime NFL head and assistant coach Tony Sparano passed away unexpectedly early Sunday morning, the Minnesota Vikings have announced. He was 56.
“Our hearts go out to Jeanette and the entire Sparano family as we all mourn the loss of Tony," Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a joint statement. "Tony was a passionate and driven individual who cared deeply about his family, and especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. Tony's presence within the Vikings organization will be deeply missed. We are only thinking of Tony’s family during this incredibly difficult time. We ask that the entire NFL and Vikings family keep the Sparanos in their thoughts.”
A native of New Haven, Conn., Sparano attended high school and college in New Haven, the started his coaching career as the offensive line coach at New Haven from 1984-87. A 5-year stint as the offensive line coach and later offensive coordinator for Boston University eventually led Sparano to get the head coaching job at New Haven, where he went 41-14-1 in five seasons, including a trip to the 1997 Division II national championship game.
Sparano left his alma mater and hometown to become a quality control coach for the expansion Cleveland Browns in 1999 and never left the professional game. He spent four years as the Miami Dolphins' head coach from 2008-11 and one season as interim head coach with the Oakland Raiders. Sparano worked as an assistant for a number of clubs, most recently as offensive line coach for the Vikings for the past two seasons and through his abrupt, tragic death on Sunday.
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