HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — John Madden, the legendary coach who left roaming the sidelines for a career in the booth, is calling it a career.
The NFL Hall of Famer announced his retirement today, saying it was time to walk away after 30 years behind the mic.
“It’s time. I’m 73 years old. My 50th wedding anniversary is this fall,” Madden said in a statement released by NBC. “I have two great sons and their families and my five grandchildren are at an age now when they know when I’m home and, more importantly, when I’m not.”
“It’s been such a great ride,” he continued. “The NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion — It still is. … It’s still fun and that’s what it makes it hard and that’s why it took me a few months to make a decision.
“I still love every part of it — the travel, the practices, the game film, the games, seeing old friends and meeting new people… but I know this is the right time.”
Madden won the Super Bowl and never had a losing season as head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978. To this day, his .750 winning percentage remains the highest of any coach in NFL history.
Madden entered the booth in 1979 and went on to work as an analyst for all four broadcast networks, where his trademark phrases like “bam” and “boom” registered with viewers. He spent the majority of his years working with play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall at CBS and Fox.
For the past three seasons, Madden worked alongside Al Michaels on NBC’s Sunday night NFL game. His last telecast was February’s Super Bowl showdown between Arizona and Pittsburgh.
