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Billy Joe “Red” McCombs, the previous proprietor of the Minnesota Vikings in addition to the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets, died Monday on the age of 95.
His household launched a press release, by way of KSAT:
“The complete McCombs Family is heartbroken to announce that our father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Red McCombs, handed away on Sunday February 19, 2023. As he drew his final breath peacefully at house, he was surrounded by household that beloved and adored him.
Red was a visionary entrepreneur who touched many lives and impacted our group in immeasurable methods. But to us he was at all times, firstly, “Dad” or “Poppop.”
We mourn the lack of a Texas icon.”
The Vikings additionally launched a press release on the passing of the previous group proprietor:
McCombs made his fortune as an proprietor of greater than 60 automotive dealerships in Texas. A World War II U.S. military veteran, McCombs went to the University of Texas at Austin, the place he studied regulation and enterprise. Since McCombs was a outstanding donor, he’s the namesake for the college’s enterprise college, the north finish zone at Darrell Ok. Royal Memorial Stadium in addition to the softball stadium.
He owned the Spurs and the Nuggets earlier than shopping for the Vikings in 1998 for a sum of $250 million. Minnesota reached two NFC Championships throughout his tenure as proprietor within the 1998 and 2000 seasons, each with the late Dennis Green as his head coach. McCombs fired Green coming into the ultimate sport of the 2001 season, and changed him with Mike Tice.
After struggling to obtain public funding for a brand new stadium, McCombs traded Hall of Famer Randy Moss to the Raiders in March of 2005 earlier than promoting the group to to Zygi and Mark Wilf in May of 2005 for $600 million. Another blemish throughout McCombs’ time because the Vikings proprietor got here when Minnesota offensive sort out Korey Stringer died from issues introduced on by warmth stroke throughout a coaching camp follow in 2001.
