Hall of Fame ex-Vikings coach Grant dies at 95
Bud Grant, the Hall of Fame head coach who led the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances, died Saturday at 95.
Grant compiled a record of 158-96-5 in 18 seasons with the Vikings (1967-83, 1985). The team lost in Super Bowls 4, 8, 9 and 11.
He also went 102-56-2 in 10 seasons as the head coach of the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers (195766), capturing four Grey Cup championships.
Grant was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994, the first person to be enshrined in both.
Grant was named the CFL Coach of the Year in 1965 and the NFL Coach of the Year in 1969.
“We are absolutely devastated to announce legendary Minnesota Vikings head coach and Hall of Famer Bud Grant passed away this morning at age 95,” the Vikings posted Saturday on Twitter. “We, like all Vikings and NFL fans, are shocked and saddened by this terrible news.”
Grant initially retired following the 1983 season but returned to coach the Vikings in 1985 after the team went 3-13. No coach in Minnesota history has won more regular-season or postseason (10) games than Grant, who also remains the only coach to lead the Vikings to the
Super Bowl.
PANTHERS TRADE FOR NO. 1 PICK
The Carolina Panthers pounced on a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears on Friday, ensuring that the franchise will be able to select its top choice of quarterback in April’s NFL draft.
The Panthers agreed to terms on the trade with the Bears to send the ninth overall pick, the
61st overall pick — a second-round pick acquired in the Christian McCaffrey trade with the San Francisco 49ers — a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick and wide receiver DJ Moore to Chicago for the first overall selection, a league source confirmed to The Charlotte Observer.
The deal can’t be made official until the start of the new league year on Wednesday. The Panthers made the aggressive move up the board in order to land one of the top talents at a longtime position of need.
Moore, 25, has been the Panthers’ leading receiver in each of the past four seasons. During his five-year career, Moore has caught 364 passes for 5,201 yards and 21 touchdowns.
While he struggled to create regular plays last season amid a quarterback turnstile and a major coaching staff turnover, he did produce a career-high seven receiving touchdowns during the campaign.