Most people may know John Madden as a broadcaster, or as the name behind perhaps the most popular and lucrative sports video game ever. But at his heart, Madden — who sadly passed away on Tuesday at age 85 — was a coach, and a football guy to his core. He led the Oakland Raiders from 1969 through 1978, compiling a 103-32-7 regular-season mark, and a 9-7 postseason record in which he won Super Bowl XI, and lost six AFL and AFC championship games to the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Madden’s football intelligence and genuine nature allowed him to succeed in multiple ways in the game, and several of the NFL’s current head coaches were happy to discuss Madden’s influence on them over the years.
