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Tony Sparano
American football coach (1961–2018) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anthony Joseph Sparano III[1] (October 7, 1961 – July 22, 2018) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and is the only NFL head coach to have led a team to the playoffs the year following a one-win season, and only the second to conduct a ten-game turnaround, both of which he accomplished in his first season with the Dolphins.[2] He was fired by the Dolphins in December 2011 after a 4-9 start to the season, Sparano's worst start in his four-year tenure with the Dolphins.[3]
This article is about the former NFL head coach. For his son Tony M. Sparano, see Tony Sparano Jr. For the fictional mobster, see Tony Soprano.
Quick Facts Personal information, Born: ...
![]() Sparano as head coach of the Dolphins in 2011 | |
Personal information | |
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Born: | (1961-10-07)October 7, 1961 West Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
Died: | July 22, 2018(2018-07-22) (aged 56) Eden Prairie, Minnesota, U.S. |
Career information | |
High school: | New Haven (CT) Lee |
College: | New Haven |
Career history | |
As a coach: | |
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Head coaching record | |
Regular season: | 32–41 (.438) |
Postseason: | 0–1 (.000) |
Career: | 32–42 (.432) |
Coaching stats at PFR | |
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Sparano was the offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2016 until his death in July 2018.[4]