The Minnesota Vikings announced Sunday that offensive line coach Tony Sparano passed away unexpectedly at age 56, survived by wife Jeannette, two sons, one daughter and four grandchildren.

"Our hearts go out to Jeanette and the entire Sparano family as we all mourn the loss of Tony," owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. "Tony was a passionate and driven individual who cared deeply about his family, and especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. Tony's presence within the Vikings organization will be deeply missed."

Sparano's football coaching career began at New Haven in 1984, where he served as the offensive line coach. He then got his first NFL gig in 1999,  becoming the quality offensive control coach for the Cleveland Browns.

After gigs with the Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys, Sparano became head coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2008. He took over a team that won just a single game in 2007, but led them to the 2008 AFC East division title with an 11-5 record.

Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Sparano remained head coach of the Dolphins until 2011, when he was fired late in the season, finishing with a 29-32 record. Sparano spent one year as offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, then became an assistant/offensive line and later interim head coach for the Oakland Raiders.

After a brief stint as the San Francisco 49ers tight end coach, Sparano was hired to coach the Vikings offensive line in 2016. After a disappointing finish that season, Sparano re-worked Minnesota's offensive line, which was instrumental in helping the team reach the 2017 NFC Championship Game.

Multiple Vikings players took to Twitter to pay their respects to Sparano.

Sparano was extremely admired and respected by his players, bringing a notably humble attitude and working closely to develop close ties with them. The NFL world is at a loss right now, as we've lost one of the most brilliant minds.

Tony Sparano was 56.

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