Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Vince Tobin died Monday morning at his home in Arizona. He was 79 years old.
Tobin, who began his NFL coaching career by replacing Buddy Ryan as defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears in 1986, was hired by the Cardinals in 1996 to succeed Ryan again.
While Tobin’s Cardinals teams went just 28-43 over five seasons, he holds an important place in franchise history, having led the Cardinals to their first playoff win in 51 years. in the 1998-99 playoffs.
After picking up wins in their final three regular season games to qualify for the playoffs, the Cardinals, on the back of sophomore quarterback Jake Plummer and an emerging defense, upset the Dallas Cowboys 20-7 in the joker round. Arizona would lose to the Minnesota Vikings a week later, but the win over the Cowboys remains an iconic moment.
“Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who knew and loved Vince Tobin, and especially his wife Kathy and their family,” Cardinals team owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “As head coach of the Cardinals, his consistent leadership has been a constant and a big part of the team’s success during his tenure.”
Plummer, who started his career under Tobin, took to Twitter to thank his former coach for the impact he had on his career.
Tobin would eventually be fired by Arizona midway through the 2000 season after a 2-5 start. He then spent a season as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator in 2001 and a year as a special assistant with the Green Bay Packers in 2004 before retiring.