It isn’t often that you have to ask for condolences to an entire state. Bud Grant’s passing, however, is felt by everyone in Minnesota.
Bud went to the University of Minnesota. He played for the Minneapolis Lakers. He coached the Minnesota Vikings from 1967-1983 and in 1985. He had an office inside Winter Park and then TCO Performance Center, where he regularly had lunch with Vikings coaches, including at age 95 with Kevin O’Connell this year. Bud is in the Vikings Ring of Honor and was named to the 50 Greatest Vikings list, 25th anniversary Team and 40th anniversary Team.
He lived in town and had legendary yard sales that were covered by local media every year and every national outlet along the way. He went to Vikings games, even this season. He did interviews whenever anybody asked. Bud adored the outdoors and once showed NFL Films’ Steve Sabol how to snowmobile. He walked out in minus-6 degree temperatures before a Vikings playoff game in January 2016 in a polo shirt. Late in life when he used a motorized cart to get around, it was painted purple.
“No single individual more defined the Minnesota Vikings than Bud Grant,” the Wilf family said in a statement. “Bud will forever be synonymous with success, toughness, The North and the Vikings.”
When Bud passed away on Saturday, he took a piece of the state’s soul with him. And that’s not just because of his presence or accomplishments, it’s how he went about it.
“If you couldn’t play for Bud Grant, you couldn’t play at all,” Fran Tarkenton said about Bud in an NFL Films piece. “He’s the greatest leader of men I’ve ever worked with. He taught me more about life than anybody I’ve ever been with the exception of my father. He has more common sense than anybody I’ve ever worked with. An amazing human being.”
Bud famously didn’t yell and scream at players, yet held discipline in the highest order. In another interview with Sabol, Bud quoted former Gopher Dave McMillan who told him that when he needed to critique a player, the first thing he should do is tell the player something good so they player would be more willing to listen to criticism. McMillan also told him to never dress down a player in front of his teammates. That resonated with Bud.
In his memoir, Scott Studwell said, “He was so stoic — guarded, you could say but I did learn one thing quickly: When Bud did say something, it always made sense. He was not a big talker but if he looked at you the wrong way it would melt your heart and scare you half to death. He had a command and presence about him that demanded attention. He was no-nonsense. When he came into a room and got in front of the team, you better be listening.”
How many coaches — heck, how many people in any leadership position — can command that type of respect without intimidation? How many understand how to exude toughness without acting tough?
In that same NFL Films piece, Bud described his thoughts on leadership with a quote from a Chinese philosopher who lived around the year 500 BC. Sabol read the quote:
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists. Not so good when people obey and acclaim him. Worse when they despise him. But a good leader talks little when this work is done, his aim fulfilled they will say, ‘We did it ourselves.’”
“What you’re talking about there is teamwork,” Bud pointed out. “I could be just as happy without all the credit and let the team revel in the victory, not necessarily me.”
While he was humble and had a tough shell, the legendary coach showed how much it all meant to him when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He choked back tears talking about his career and the people who helped him en route to Canton. In one of the great endings to HOF speeches ever, Bud said that if his father was alive to see him inducted, he would have said: “The kid made it, he finally made it.”
“I think you finally saw the real Bud Grant, I’ve never seen him as emotional as he was,” long-time assistant coach John Michels told reporter Mark Rosen that day.
“It’s safe to say professional sports in Minnesota will never see the likes of Bud Grant again, his place here in Canton and in the hearts of Vikings fans is secure,” Rosen said, wrapping up his report from the Hall.
“When I ended up there, it was a culmination of a whole life,” Bud told Sabol.
It was some kinda life. He was an NFL player, CFL legend as a player and coach (there’s a statue of him in Winnipeg) and top 20 all-time leader in coaching wins. Bud most proudly talked about raising six kids who all graduated college. Everyone around the team, from fans to players to coaches to PR staff to media made personal connections with him. He impacted all of them.
“Everyone should know a Bud,” Vikings legend Carl Eller tweeted. “It’s unfortunate that the ones you get to know as rare jewels in your life…their light energy burns out too soon.”
Naturally, Sabol asked Bud about regrets in the NFL Films piece. He went to four Super Bowls with the Vikings and never won. Bud told him that it didn’t keep him up at night.
“It was a great ride…I enjoyed every minute,” Bud said.
