Les Steckel

Les Steckel (b. July 1, 1946) was a coach of the Minnesota Vikings for one brief, unsuccessful season in 1984. He has also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Related Topics:
July 1 - 1946 - Minnesota Vikings - 1984 - San Francisco 49ers - New England Patriots - Denver Broncos - Tennessee Titans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Steckel was born in Whitehall, Pennsylvania and attended the University of Kansas, where he graduated in 1968 with a degree in social work, human relations and political science. He volunteered on the Robert F. Kennedy presidential campaign that year.

Related Topics:
Whitehall, Pennsylvania - University of Kansas - Robert F. Kennedy

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He then enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam as an infantry officer. He recently retired from USMC Reserves after thirty years of service with the rank of Colonel.

Related Topics:
Marines - Vietnam

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After returning from Vietnam Steckel worked as an assistant football coach at the University of Colorado from 1973 to 1976. He was an assistant at Navy in 1977, then an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers in 1978.

Related Topics:
Football - University of Colorado - 1973 - 1976 - Navy - 1977 - 1978

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Steckel joined the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff as the receivers coach in 1979 and remained an assistant coach through the 1983 season. He was promoted to head coach of the Vikings for the 1984 season. His term as the third head coach in franchise history was short: he was fired after one season, in which the team posted a 3-13 record. He followed Bud Grant for the position, and was the succeeded by Grant—who briefly came out of retirement to fill the post. After that, Jerry Burns took the job.

Related Topics:
Minnesota Vikings - 1979 - 1983 - Bud Grant - Jerry Burns

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He later worked as an assistant coach or coordinator with the New England Patriots from 1985 to 1988, then with Brown University in 1989, followed by another two years at the University of Colorado from 1991 to 1992, then two years with the Denver Broncos from 1993 to 1994, followed by five years with the Houston Oilers and the Tennessee Titans, then a year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a year with the Buffalo Bills. He became President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in 2004 after taking time off to coach his son's high school team.

Related Topics:
New England Patriots - 1985 - 1988 - Brown University - 1989 - 1991 - 1992 - Denver Broncos - 1993 - 1994 - Houston Oilers - Tennessee Titans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Buffalo Bills - Fellowship of Christian Athletes - 2004

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