Bud Grant, who took Minnesota Vikings to 4 Super Bowls, dead at 95

Hall of Fame football coach Bud Grant, who led the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowls during the 1970s, died Saturday, the team announced. He was 95.

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Stoic while wearing a baseball cap as he paced the sidelines, Grant coached the Vikings for 18 seasons and also coached in the Canadian Football League, ESPN reported. He took the Vikings to Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI but lost each time.

“We are absolutely devastated to announce legendary Minnesota Vikings head coach and Hall of Famer Bud Grant has passed away this morning at age 95,” the Vikings wrote on social media. “We, like all Vikings and NFL fans, are shocked and saddened by this terrible news.”

Grant’s teams reached the playoffs 20 times and played in 10 championship games, ESPN reported.

He went 158-96-5 in Minnesota, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. He came to Minnesota in 1967 after coaching 10 seasons for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

During his time as the Vikings’ head coach, Grant guided the team to 12 playoff berths and 11 division titles, according to NFL.com.

Grant was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

Harry Peter “Bud” Grant Jr. joined the Navy during World War II after graduating from high school in his hometown of Superior, Wisconsin, according to ESPN.

He was a first-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1950, but the 6-foot-3 Grant decided to play with the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played two seasons at forward for the Lakers (1949-50, 1950-51) who won the NBA title in both seasons.

Grant played defensive end for the Eagles during his rookie season in 1951 before switching to receiver the following year, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. He caught 56 passes during the 1952 season.

Grant played four seasons in the CFL with the Blue Bombers before taking over as head coach in 1957, ESPN reported. He led Winnipeg to six Grey Cup games in 10 seasons, winning the CFL title game four times.

Grant had a regular-season record of 102-56-2 in the CFL, according to ESPN. He was elected to that league’s Hall of Fame in 1983. He was the first person elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame, according to ESPN.