MIAMI (CBSNewYork/AP) — Tony Sparano once beat Bill Belichick with the single wing, but wasn’t as old as that made him sound.
Sparano was only 56 when he died unexpectedly Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings announced his death in a statement that did not provide a cause.
He had been the Vikings’ offensive line coach since 2016. Sparano also served as offensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2012, replacing Brian Schottenheimer under head coach Rex Ryan.
The most memorable moment in Sparano’s 19-year NFL coaching career came in 2008, when he was a rookie head coach with the Miami Dolphins, inheriting a team that had gone 1-15 the previous season.