WASHINGTON (SBG) – Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster John Madden is dead at the age of 85, the NFL announced Tuesday.
According to the NFL, Madden unexpectedly died Tuesday morning.
“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe, and their families. 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,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a statement from the league.
“Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others,” he added. “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 began his coaching career at 32 years old when he was hired to coach the then-Oakland Raiders in 1969. Madden eventually went on to lead the team to a victory in the 1977 Super Bowl over the Minnesota Vikings.
During his coaching career, the Oakland Raiders never had a losing record, winning seven division titles and making the playoffs eight times.
In 2006, Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Leaving the game behind, Madden went on to become a broadcaster and lend his voice and personality to the hugely popular football game franchise, EA’s Madden NFL.
