Ex-Raiders head coach Tony Sparano dies unexpectedly
Derek Carr: ‘He was a great man. I love you coach”
Tony Sparano, whose NFL coaching career spanned both sides of the Bay and included a 12game stint as Raiders’ head coach, died unexpectedly Sunday in Minnesota. Sparano was 56. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, Sparano and his wife, Jeanette, were about to leave for church when she found him unconscious in their kitchen. She tried CPR, but he could not be revived. Mortenson reported that Sparano had gone to a hospital Thursday, complaining of chest pains. Tests were performed and he was released Friday, Mortensen said.
Sparano coached for nine NFL teams and was about to begin his third season as offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings.
In 2013, Sparano was hired as the Raiders’ offensive line coach and assistant head coach under Dennis Allen. Allen was fired after an 0-4 start in 2014 that included a 38-14 loss in London against Miami. The Raiders went 3-9 under Sparano.
Derek Carr, the Raiders’
rookie quarterback that season, expressed his condolences via Twitter.
“Coach believed in me, trusted me, and stuck with me as a rookie. He would check on my family every HC and QB meeting we would have! He was a great man! I love you coach!”
Sparano’s first act as head coach was to gather the team near the practice field and bury a football to signify burying the past and starting fresh.
But the Raiders lost six more games, falling to 0-10, before beating Kansas City.
Left tackle Donald Penn, who awarded the game ball
to Sparano after that victory and campaigned for him to remain head coach, paid tribute to the coach Sunday via Twitter.
“Damn I’m at a loss for words RIP coach Sparano taught me so much not just about football about life also one of the biggest reasons why I signed with the Raiders was because of you coach thanks for everything love you coach RIP.”
Sparano, who had quickly forged a strong bond with owner Mark Davis, was a contender to remain head coach until Davis interviewed Jack Del Rio.
Sparano’s only other
head coaching experience came with the Miami Dolphins from 2008-2011. In his first season, he guided the Dolphins to their first playoff berth in seven years.
After coaching the Raiders, Sparano was 49ers tight ends coach for one season under Jim Tomsula.
He caught on with the Vikings in 2016, reuniting with head coach Mike Zimmer, with whom he’d been an assistant under Bill Parcells from 2003-06.