The Minnesota Vikings will induct the late Dennis Green in the club’s Ring of Honor this season, the team announced Monday.
Green, who coached the Vikings from 1992-2002 and led the club to the NFC Championship Games in 1998 and 2000, died of a heart attack in July 2016. He was 67.
In acknowledgement of his contributions, Green will be inducted into the Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony of the Vikings’ game against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 23 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“Dennis Green’s impact on the Minnesota Vikings, and really the entire NFL, is still felt to this day,” co-owner and president Mark Wilf said. “In addition to being widely regarded as one of the NFL’s top coaches, Denny was also known as a great mentor and leader by all who had the fortune of being in his presence.
“We’re extremely honored to forever memorialize Denny and his family in the Vikings Ring of Honor and we’re looking forward to the induction in September.”
Green led the Vikings to four NFC Central Division titles and eight postseason appearances. He posted a 101-70 overall record with the club, giving him the second-most wins in franchise history behind only Bud Grant (168).
In 1998, the Vikings boasted one of the best offenses in NFL history as the team set the league single-season scoring record at 556 points.
“(It’s) very emotional, clearly,” wife Marie Green said. “I’m so honored for my husband, and this is an honor that is well-deserved. I just wish he could have accepted it himself.
“I think that he would be very humbled. And he would be extremely proud of how the franchise has progressed. … I think he’d be really honored and very proud to be in the Ring of Honor.”
The addition of Green will bring the Vikings’ Ring of Honor to 24 members. Current members include: Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page, Jim Finks, Bud Grant, Paul Krause, Fred Zamberletti, Jim Marshall, Ron Yary, Korey Stringer, Mick Tingelhoff, Carl Eller, Cris Carter, Bill Brown, Jerry Burns, Randall McDaniel, Chuck Foreman, John Randle, Scott Studwell, Chris Doleman, Matt Blair, Joey Browner, Ahmad Rashad and Randy Moss.
Green finished his career in 2006 with a 113-94 overall record in 13 seasons as a head coach and a 4-8 mark in the postseason. He was a special teams coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers for a year and later their wide receivers coach for three seasons in the 1980s under head coach Bill Walsh.
After a stint as the head coach of Stanford University (1989-91), Green returned to the NFL and led the Vikings. He returned as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2004 through 2006.
Green also served as a head coach at Northwestern (1981-85). He was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1982.
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