Former NFL coach Dennis Green dies at 67

Former NFL coach Dennis Green has died, his family confirmed Friday morning. He was 67.

“Dennis passed away last night from complications of cardiac arrest,” the family said in a statement, according to NFL.com. “His family was by his side and he fought hard.”

Green coached the Minnesota Vikings from 1992 to 2001, making the playoffs eight times, then coached the Arizona Cardinals from 2004 to 2006.

“All of us at the Cardinals are incredibly saddened by the news of Dennis Green’s passing,” Cardinals President Michael Bidwill said in a written statement. “Coach Green will rightly be remembered as a true innovator, leader and pioneer among football coaches. We express our deepest sympathy to his family and many friends.”

Before his years with the Vikings, Green was the head coach at Northwestern and Stanford. When he was hired by Northwestern in 1981, he became the first black head coach in Big Ten football history.