“Yellowstone” Star Cole Hauser Mourns The Loss Of John Madden

NFLonFOX / Twitter, Cole Hauser / Instagram

On Tuesday evening (Dec. 28), the NFL announced the unexpected death of John Madden, a Hall of Fame NFL coach and commentator.

“The NFL is saddened to share the passing of the legendary John Madden. He was 85,” they wrote.

Madden was one of the most iconic figures in NFL history, but his was a story that could have looked very different if it hadn’t been for an injury that kept him out of the NFL after his own successful college football career. After being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958, Madden suffered a knee injury in training camp that kept him from ever achieving his goal of playing in the National Football League.

Instead, Madden got a teaching degree and meshed his love of football with teaching. The result made him one of the most successful and beloved coaches in the NFL. In 1969, Madden was named head coach of the Oakland Raiders at the age of 32, making him professional football’s youngest coach to that time. He coached the Oakland Raiders for ten seasons and led them to a Super Bowl victory in 1970. All ten of his seasons as head coach were winning seasons, coming in first place in the AFC West seven times and second place three times. His overall win percentage is second in league history and he still holds the record for the coach with most wins in the Raiders organization.

Following his retirement from coaching, John Madden became a sportscaster, first with CBS Sports, then Fox Sports, followed by ABC Sports and NBC Sports. He retired from broadcasting in 2009. He was also the namesake of the long-running NFL video game.

John Madden touched the lives of so many, not just football players, and they all took to social media following the news of his passing to pay tribute to him. See some below.

Another person who paid tribute to the late legend was Yellowstone star Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler. “Today one of the great coaches, teachers and commentators passed away. The great John Madden. Godspeed,” he wrote alongside a vintage photo of Madden. 

Clearly, Hauser is a football fan and has a great respect for Madden. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Maddens family and friends.

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