Former Bears defensive coordinator and Cardinals head coach Vince Tobin died Monday at the age of 79. Check it out here.
Former Cardinals coach Vince Tobin dies at 79.
Sad news hit the professional football world Monday morning as former Arizona Cardinals head coach Vince Tobin passed away at age 79.
Tobin coached the Cardinals from 1996 to 2000, most notably helping break the team’s 50-plus-year playoff victory drought with a 20-7 upset victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the 1998 wild-card round of the playoffs, marking the franchise’s first playoff win since 1947.
“Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who knew and loved Vince Tobin, and in particular his wife Kathy and their family,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “As head coach of the Cardinals, his steady leadership was a constant and a big part of the success the team enjoyed during his tenure. His football legacy with us is highlighted by the thrilling 1998 season, return to the postseason, and upset playoff win at Dallas. He will also be remembered for his instrumental role in key decisions like drafting Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman.”
Tobin was a native of Burlington Junction, Missouri, playing his collegiate football at Missouri where he was a defensive back for the Tigers.
And he stayed in Columbia to start his coaching career, serving as a graduate assistant in 1965 for the Tigers before eventually taking over as the team’s defensive coordinator from 1971 to 1976.
He jumped to the professional ranks in 1977, becoming the defensive coordinator for the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions for six seasons before moving onto the USFL scene, where he served in the same role for the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars for three seasons.
He made his NFL coaching debut in 1986 when he became the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears.
Also he helped lead one of the league’s top-rated defenses in Chicago for seven seasons before becoming the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts in 1994.
The Cardinals said Tobin died Monday morning at his Arizona home.