Football coach John Madden retired 43 years ago
NFL Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster John Madden died last week at age 85. Early in his coaching career, Madden served as Don Coryell’s defensive coordinator at San Diego State, from 1964 to 1966. Madden left San Diego to become an assistant with the Oakland Raiders and later, at age 32, their head coach.
After leaving the Raiders after the 1978 season, Madden began a second life in sports broadcasting.
In this interview with Union Sports Editor Jack Murphy, he explained his decision to retire from coaching.
From The San Diego Union, Friday, Jan. 5, 1979:
IS THERE LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL, ASKS JOHN
At 32 he was the youngest head coach in the National Football League. At 42, he is the youngest coach ever to know the pleasure of 100 victories. So John Madden is leaving not only the Raiders — he vows he will coach no more. And the reasons he gives make good sense.
The ulcer that troubled him in recent months is part of it. But only a part.
“I want to find out if there’s more to life than being a football coach,” he explains. “I have a notion there must be something else. I’ve coached for 19 years, working at my job every moment I’m awake.
“I don’t have hobbies; I don’t hunt or fish or play golf; I don’t even have a garden. I don’t know how it is to live like anyone else. This is a good time to find out.”
Naturally, there’s question as to whether Madden got his ulcer from Al Davis. The managing owner of the Raiders is impatient with modest results. Modest means a 9-7 record and being eliminated from the Super Bowl playoffs for the first time in eight years. It is not unreasonable to ask if Madden was pressured to resign.
“No,” says John, “I told Al I was quitting the day after Christmas. I think he was rather shocked. He asked me to think about it, to take my time. But I was sure then, I’m sure now.”
It was a marvelous decade for Madden in Oakland. He had uncommon success, he became a national figure, and he earned the respect of his peers and the media. He is the sort
NO QUARREL WITH DAVIS
He was a gracious and laughing winner in the 11th Super Bowl at Pasadena and he was civil to those who questioned his authority over the Raiders. Many regarded him as a Davis puppet.
When his team defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl. Madden again was asked to define his relationship with Davis.
“Al Davis is a great owner,” he said, “he does a lot of things. But I’m the coach. I get ’em ready. You have to live with yourself; I can do that.”
Now he no longer serves Davis, but he speaks of him with warmth and respect.
“We had an excellent relationship. It was a great relationship. A lot of people tried to read things into it that weren’t there. Al is one of my best friends. He took a 32-year-old guy and made him a head coach.”