Football Insiders Remember Denny Green
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- To those that knew Denny Green well -- and those who coached against him -- he was held in high regard.
Related: Ex-Vikings Coach Denny Green Dies
The Vikings won games while Green was at the helm. They were competitive every season, and respected by the league to be sure.
"His teams were always tremendously prepared," said Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer. "And they had fun, too, when they played. They were that type of team."
Dean Dalton was on his coaching staff. He remembers a family man.
"[Green said] 'Look out for your family.' You know, coaches get that grind mentality, and Denny would threaten me if I stayed too late," Dalton said. "He would call me on my phone at my desk and say, 'I'm going to call your house. Deany, you better get home. I know how far you live away from, you know, the facility, and if Dawn answers she's going to be upset.' Because if you work too late, he wanted you sharp."
Jeff Robinson played for him in college at Northwestern, and worked with him as a scout for the Vikings.
Related: Fans React To Coach Denny Green's Death
"He always treated everybody fairly. He always looked for the good in everyone, and through that process he wanted everyone to have a fair chance," Robinson said. "You know, it wasn't about, you know, this guy is better than this guy."
He was not a media favorite, but he was respected by most of his colleagues.
"He wanted you to do your job, and he gave you the space to do it, allowed you to be creative, and he treated everyone the same way in that regard," said Brad Madison of Vikings Community Relations.
He was a successful coach, and a complicated man.
"He truly engaged people, so some people didn't get to know Denny, or Dennis Green the man. They saw him as the coach, or the sheriff," Dalton said. "And so in some ways he used that energy for that us-against-the-world mentality. And other ways … he was super engaged."
