In the National Football League, John Earl Madden was an American football coach and sports pundit. All four major sports networks in the United States have aired his voice: CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC.
Where was John born?
Earl Russell Madden and Mary Margaret Madden gave birth to John in Austin, Minnesota. Russell, his father, was a mechanic who worked on automobiles.
Their financial situation was precarious. With the arrival of young John, the family relocated to Daly City, California.
From 1950 until 1950, John attended Catholic Parochial School. He afterward transferred to Jefferson High School, where he received his diploma in 1954.
Start of Career
In high school, John was a standout football player. At the College of San Mateo, he played for a season.
A football scholarship was offered by the University of Oregon to a young prospect. He had surgery after sustaining a knee injury. He had run out of games as a result.
John was a member of the Mustangs of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo from 1957 to 1958, playing both offensive and defensive positions. On the university baseball team, he was a catcher.
The NFL franchise Philadelphia Eagles picked him in 1958, knowing his talent and playing style.
In his first training camp, he, unfortunately, sustained another knee injury. As a result, he was unable to begin his professional career.
Professional Life as Coach
College Coaching
Even though he was never able to play, John’s love for the game never faded. As a result, he began his coaching career in 1960 as an assistant football coach at Allan Hancock College. Two years later, he was elevated to head coach.
Since the 1963 season, he has worked as a defensive coach for San Diego State University’s football team.
The team was ranked among the top minor universities during his final season there in 1966. Don Coryell, John’s employer, is credited with having had a significant influence on his coaching.
The Oakland Raiders coach
John was employed as a linebackers coach by the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders in 1967. In the same season, the squad made it to Super Bowl II because of his influence.
After the former left, Madden was named head coach the following year. At the age of 32, he became the professional football’s youngest head coach.
Madden led the Raiders to five AFC title games in seven years, all of which they lost. John departed from coaching in 1979 after being the Raiders’ coach with the most victories.
According to reports, his ulcer and occupational stress were the main causes of his retirement. John never had a losing season as a head coach, even in the era of the top coaches.
How was his Television Career?
CBS Sports
Madden and Pat Summerall were the top football broadcasters on the CBS network in 1981. In Pat’s absence, Madden teamed up with Vin Scully and later, Verne Lundquist. For five years, Madden and Summerall worked together at CBS.
When the Fox Network acquired the NFC rights in 1994, Madden and other CBS workers became free agents.
Because of his celebrity in football broadcasting, all of the sports networks, including Fox, ABC, and NBC, offered him a deal for more than $2 million per year.
Fox Sports
Although there were many options, the Madden and Summerall duo decided to join Fox’s NFL coverage.
According to reports, Fox paid him more than any NFL player does in a year. At the same time, Fox’s NFL deal was proving to be prohibitively expensive. As a result, it attempted to reduce program costs.
ABC Sports
In 2002, Madden became a pundit for the ABC network’s Monday Night Football. His partner at the time was Al Michaels. During his time at ABC, he was paid $5 million per year.
NBC Sports
In the 2006 season, he started broadcasting on NBC. Madden had a 476-weekend streak of consecutive television appearances until October 13, 2008. Madden’s final broadcasting gig came for Super Bowl XLII in 2009.
He made history by becoming the first sportscaster to appear in the Super Bowl on all four of America’s major sports broadcasting networks. Following that, he ended his illustrious broadcasting career.
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What was the Net worth and Salary of John?
Madden has made a lot of money since he started working in broadcasting. Despite earning a high income with the Oakland Raiders, he was paid more than $5 million per year by sports networks such as ABC.
He also had a $42 million four-year deal with Fox. In addition, during his final years at NBC, he earned $9.5M every year.
IN THE YEAR 2022, JOHN MADDEN’S NET WORTH WAS $200 MILLION.
Madden NFL was given a $150 million contract by EA Sports. The computer game had made $4 billion in revenue and pays Madden $2 million in annual royalties.
He also made money through endorsement deals with Toyota, Verizon, Tinactin, and other companies.
Relationship| Who was he married to?

On the 26th of December, 1959, Madden married Virginia Fields. In Pismo Beach, California, the pair met in a bar.
Joseph and Michaels were their two sons. In Pleasanton, California, they lived in a magnificent mansion.
Their father instilled in them a passion for football. Brown University is where Joseph played football. Michaels also began his football career as a receiver for the Harvard Crimson.
Social Media
John was not much active in social media, although he used to use Twitter if anything to share with his fans. He has 199.7K followers on Twitter as of 2022.
Is John Death?
John Madden, a Hall of Fame coach who became one of the most well-known representatives of professional football in America, reaching millions of people and entire generations via the broadcast booth and the well-known computer game bearing his name, passed away on Tuesday, Dec 28, 2021 at the age of 85.
His passing was reported by the National Football League, although no cause of death was given. According to his agent Sandy Montag, he passed away at his Pleasanton, California, home.
Frequently asked questions
What was John Madden’s greatest fear?
John Madden had fear of flying. As a result, he generally traveled by coach bus and train. According to theories, his dread stemmed from the Cal Poly football team’s plane disaster in the 1960s.
Why did he retire as a coach?
Madden stepped down as a coach at the end of the 1978-79 season owing to worsened ulcer symptoms and work stress.
Why was John Madden so busy ?
John made sporadic appearances on KCBS Radio call-in broadcasts before his death. He didn’t seem to be able to get away with his passion for the game.
Quick Facts
Full Name | John Earl Madden |
Birth Date | April 10, 1936 |
Birth Place | Austin, Minnesota, U.S.A |
Nick Name | John Madden |
Religion | Christianity |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Education | Jefferson High School |
Horoscope | Aries |
Father’s Name | Earl Russel Madden |
Mother’s Name | Mary Margaret Madden |
Age | 85 years (at the time of his death) |
Height | 6’5″ (1.95 m) |
Weight | 95 kg (209 lbs) |
Shoe Size | Not available |
Hair Color | Gray |
Eye Color | Gray |
Build | Average |
Relationship | Married |
Girlfriends | No |
Spouse | Virginia Fields (m. 1959) |
Children | Two sons |
Profession | Sportscaster, NFL coach (former) |
Net Worth | $200 million |
Salary |
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Broadcasting Affiliations | NBC, ABC, Fox, CBS |
Social Media | |
Merch | Autographs, Books |
Last Update | April 2022 |