Rise to Success: Career Highlights of John Madden

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how John Madden made an impact.

John Madden was a highly successful NFL coach and commentator. As head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, he achieved remarkable success, including a Super Bowl XI victory. Madden never had a losing season and holds the highest winning percentage among NFL coaches with over 100 games coached, solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest coaches ever. He later became a well-known and respected football commentator.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Legacy & Impact

1954: Plays at the College of San Mateo and Receives Scholarship to Oregon

In 1954, John Madden played one season at the College of San Mateo before receiving a football scholarship to the University of Oregon.

1956: Plays Football at Grays Harbor College

In the fall of 1956, John Madden played football at Grays Harbor College.

1957: Selected for Little All-Coast Second Team Honors

During the 1957 season, John Madden was selected by United Press International for Little All-Coast Second Team accolades following his junior season.

1957: Plays for Cal Poly Mustangs

In 1957, John Madden played both offense and defense for the Cal Poly Mustangs.

October 1958: Collarbone Injury Ends Senior Season

In October 1958, John Madden's senior year was cut short due to a season-ending collarbone injury during a game against Long Beach State.

1958: Plays for Cal Poly Mustangs

In 1958, John Madden continued to play both offense and defense for the Cal Poly Mustangs.

January 3, 1959: Plays in All-American Bowl

On January 3, 1959, John Madden played in the All-American Bowl in Tucson, Arizona.

August 1959: Torn Knee Ligament Ends Playing Career

In August 1959, John Madden suffered a torn knee ligament during his first training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles, ending his playing career before playing in a regulation game professionally.

1959: Earns Bachelor of Science in Education

In 1959, John Madden earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Cal Poly.

1960: Assistant Coach at Allan Hancock College

In 1960, John Madden became an assistant coach at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California.

1961: Earns Master of Arts in Education

In 1961, John Madden earned a Master of Arts degree in education from Cal Poly.

1962: Promoted to Head Coach at Allan Hancock College

In 1962, John Madden was promoted to head coach at Allan Hancock College.

1963: Allan Hancock Bulldogs Ranked No. 9 Nationally

In 1963, John Madden's Allan Hancock Bulldogs were ranked No. 9 nationally among city colleges.

1966: Defensive Assistant Coach at San Diego State

In 1966, John Madden served as a defensive assistant coach at San Diego State, where the Aztecs were ranked among the top small colleges in the country.

1967: Linebackers Coach for the Oakland Raiders

In 1967, John Madden was hired by Al Davis as the linebackers coach for the AFL's Oakland Raiders, helping the team reach Super Bowl II.

February 4, 1969: Named Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders

On February 4, 1969, John Madden was named the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, becoming the youngest head coach in the AFL/NFL at the age of 32.

1969: First Season as Raiders Head Coach

In 1969, John Madden's first season as head coach of the Raiders resulted in a 12-1-1 record, but they lost the American Football League Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs.

1976: Raiders Reach Super Bowl XI

In 1976, the Raiders went 13-1 in the regular season and won the AFC Championship game, reaching Super Bowl XI after a dramatic and controversial victory over the New England Patriots.

January 9, 1977: Wins Super Bowl XI

On January 9, 1977, John Madden won his first and only NFL title with a 32–14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI.

1977: Raiders Make Playoffs as Wild Card Team

In 1977, the Raiders made the playoffs as a Wild Card team, but lost the AFC Championship Game.

1978: Tenth Straight Winning Campaign

In 1978, the Raiders enjoyed their tenth straight winning campaign under John Madden, but failed to qualify for the playoffs.

January 4, 1979: Retirement Announcement

On January 4, 1979, John Madden announced his retirement from coaching due to a troublesome ulcer and occupational burnout.

1979: Joins CBS as a Color Commentator

In 1979, John Madden joined CBS as a color commentator after retiring from coaching.

1979: Madden Joins NFL Telecasts as Color Commentator

In 1979, after retiring from coaching, John Madden became a color commentator for NFL telecasts.

1981: Becomes Top Football Broadcasting Duo with Pat Summerall

In 1981, John Madden was elevated to CBS's top football broadcasting duo with Pat Summerall, replacing Tom Brookshier.

1984: Madden envisions the game as a teaching tool

During initial planning conversations with Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins in 1984, John Madden envisioned the program as a tool for teaching and testing plays.

1984: Creation of the "All-Madden" Team

In 1984, John Madden created the "All-Madden" team, a group of players who Madden thought represented football and played the game the way he thought it should be played. NFL coach John Robinson advised Madden to create it.

1987: Madden Cruiser partnership with Greyhound Lines begins

Beginning in 1987, Greyhound Lines supplied John Madden with a custom bus and drivers in exchange for advertising and speaking events, the partnership was dubbed the Madden Cruiser.

1987: Madden becomes spokesperson for Ace Hardware

In 1987, John Madden became the spokesperson for Ace Hardware store, and would make appearances at several grand openings of local Ace Hardware stores all over the nation.

1988: John Madden Football series is created

In 1988, John Madden lent his name, voice and creative input to the John Madden Football series of video games by Electronic Arts, later called Madden NFL.

1993: Final Season with CBS

In 1993, John Madden and Pat Summerall's final season with CBS

January 23, 1994: Final CBS Telecast with Summerall

On January 23, 1994, during their final CBS telecast together, the 1993 NFC Championship Game, John Madden told Pat Summerall that while CBS may no longer have the NFL, at least they have the memories.

1994: 10th Anniversary All-Madden team

In 1994, John Madden created a special 10th Anniversary All-Madden team.

1994: Joins Fox's NFL Coverage

In 1994, John Madden joined Fox's NFL coverage after Fox gained the rights to NFC games. He helped establish Fox's NFL coverage, providing credibility to broadcast what Rupert Murdoch called "the crown jewel of all sports programming in the world."

1997: Began Calling into KCBS Radio

In 1997, John Madden began calling in to radio station KCBS five days a week.

1997: All-Madden Super Bowl Team

In 1997, John Madden created an All-Madden Super Bowl Team.

1998: Fox NFL Contract

In 1998, Fox signed an eight-year contract with the NFL, but was reportedly losing an estimated $4.4 billion on its NFL contract.

2000: All-Time All-Madden Team

In 2000, John Madden created an All-Time All-Madden team.

September 11, 2001: Provides Transportation After 9/11 Attacks

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, John Madden found an unexpected use for his bus in New York City, when he provided transportation for former ice-skating champion Peggy Fleming, whose flight home to Los Gatos, California, had been grounded.

2001: Madden leaves for ABC and Monday Night Football

In 2001, John Madden left to move to ABC and Monday Night Football, and he ended picking the All-Madden team after this move.

2002: Commentator on ABC's Monday Night Football

In 2002, John Madden became a commentator on ABC's Monday Night Football, working with Al Michaels, earning a reported $5 million per year.

2002: Stopped Announcing Thanksgiving Day Games

In 2002, John Madden stopped announcing the Thanksgiving Day games after he moved to ABC, but the tradition of awarding a turkey or turducken to the winning team continued.

2003: Madden's Fox Contract Worth $8 Million

In 2003, John Madden's Fox contract would have been worth $8 million.

2005: Joins NBC's Sunday Night Football

In 2005, John Madden joined NBC's Sunday Night Football as a color commentator, beginning with the 2006 season, making him the first sportscaster to have worked for all of the "Big Four" U.S. broadcast television networks.

2005: Similar Words on ABC's Final Monday Night Football Telecast

In 2005, John Madden used similar wording on ABC's final Monday Night Football telecast, as he did during the final CBS telecast in 1994

2006: Begins with NBC's Sunday Night Football

In 2006, John Madden began providing color commentary for NBC's Sunday night NFL games.

November 2, 2008: Returns to NBC Telecast

On November 2, 2008, John Madden returned to the NBC telecast in Indianapolis after taking a week off.

February 1, 2009: Calls Final Game

On February 1, 2009, John Madden called his final game for Super Bowl XLIII between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

April 16, 2009: Retires From Broadcasting

On April 16, 2009, John Madden announced his retirement from the broadcasting booth and was succeeded by Cris Collinsworth.

2009: Madden retires as broadcaster

Despite John Madden's retirement as a broadcaster in 2009, he still continued to lend his name and provide creative input to the Madden NFL series.

2009: Madden Ends Commentating Career

In 2009, John Madden ended his career as a color commentator for NFL telecasts. During his time as a commentator, he won 16 Sports Emmy Awards and appeared on all four major American television networks.

2010: End of spokesperson deal with Ace Hardware

In 2010, John Madden's time as a spokesperson for Ace Hardware store ended.

2012: Madden's view on Madden NFL

In 2012, John Madden stated that Madden NFL was "a way for people to learn the game [of football] and participate in the game at a pretty sophisticated level".

June 2016: Bocce tournament raises money for charities

In June 2016, John Madden's bocce tournament, co-hosted with Steve Mariucci, raised $5 million for Special Olympics Northern California, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Diabetes Youth Foundation.

2017: Begins Twice-Weekly Radio Appearances

In 2017, John Madden began making twice-weekly appearances on KCBS radio again.

August 2018: Stopped Regular Radio Call-ins

In August 2018, John Madden stopped making regular radio call-ins, citing a desire to remove any obligations from his schedule.

2018: Donation of the Madden Cruiser to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

In 2018, John Madden donated the original Madden Cruiser to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where it was restored to its original condition.

October 2022: Madden Donates to Cal Poly Football Facility

In October 2022, Cal Poly and the Madden family announced that John Madden had donated a leading contribution toward a total $30-million football facility on the Cal Poly campus.