Mike Tice
Encyclopedia
Michael Peter Tice is an American football
National Football League
coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings
. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears
.
where he played quarterback. He played tight end
in the National Football League
from 1981 to 1995 with the Seattle Seahawks
, Washington Redskins
and Minnesota Vikings
.
, replacing Dennis Green
, and then was officially named head coach on January 10, 2002. He became the sixth head coach in team history and the first former Viking player to assume the role.
In March 2005, the NFL began to investigate Tice for organizing and profiting from a Super Bowl
ticket scalping operation within the Vikings organization. He later admitted that these charges were true and the NFL fined him $100,000 on June 30, 2005. It was the largest fine ever handed down to a head coach in NFL history until New England Patriots
coach Bill Belichick
was fined $500,000 for having a team video assistant film the New York Jets
' defensive signals. Tice's fine is still the largest for a head coach who does not also have the title or powers of general manager
(Belichick is effectively the Patriots' general manager).
Tice's contract with the Minnesota Vikings was allowed to expire after last game of the 2005 season on January 1, 2006. The Vikings had just defeated the Chicago Bears
, but a loss to the Baltimore Ravens
eliminated the Vikings from playoff contention and effectively sealed Tice's fate. This was a twist of fate, as Tice's first game as a head coach came against the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, when Spergon Wynn
quarterbacked the team to a 19-3 loss. During his tenure of more than four years as the Vikings head coach, he had a regular season record of 32-33-0, while going 1-1 in the playoffs.
, another former Viking.
. On October 3, 2010 his offensive line allowed 9 sacks in one half to the New York Giants. On September 17, 2010, against the Cowboys, his line only gave up one sack and held DeMarcus Ware, one of the leading sackers since he came into the NFL, sackless. On September 29, 2010, against the Green Bay Packers, his line held Clay Matthews, who was leading the NFL in sacks at the time, sackless.
In 2009, the Bears allowed 35 sacks on quarterback Jay Cutler.
, also a former tight end at the University of Maryland, who played ten seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints
. John was an assistant coach for the Vikings in Mike's tenure. His son, Nate, is a quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Playing career
Tice attended the University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
where he played quarterback. He played tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1981 to 1995 with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
Minnesota Vikings
Immediately after his retirement, Tice joined the Vikings' coaching staff, serving first as tight ends coach (1996) and offensive line coach (1997–2001). Tice took over head coaching duties on an interim basis for the final game of the 2001 season2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, replacing Dennis Green
Dennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
, and then was officially named head coach on January 10, 2002. He became the sixth head coach in team history and the first former Viking player to assume the role.
In March 2005, the NFL began to investigate Tice for organizing and profiting from a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
ticket scalping operation within the Vikings organization. He later admitted that these charges were true and the NFL fined him $100,000 on June 30, 2005. It was the largest fine ever handed down to a head coach in NFL history until New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
coach Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
was fined $500,000 for having a team video assistant film the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' defensive signals. Tice's fine is still the largest for a head coach who does not also have the title or powers of general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
(Belichick is effectively the Patriots' general manager).
Tice's contract with the Minnesota Vikings was allowed to expire after last game of the 2005 season on January 1, 2006. The Vikings had just defeated the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but a loss to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
eliminated the Vikings from playoff contention and effectively sealed Tice's fate. This was a twist of fate, as Tice's first game as a head coach came against the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, when Spergon Wynn
Spergon Wynn
Spergon Wynn III is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
quarterbacked the team to a 19-3 loss. During his tenure of more than four years as the Vikings head coach, he had a regular season record of 32-33-0, while going 1-1 in the playoffs.
Jacksonville Jaguars
He was hired as Assistant Head Coach/Offense of Jacksonville by Jack Del RioJack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio is an American football coach and former player. Del Rio played both football and baseball for the University of Southern California Trojans, and then spent eleven years playing linebacker in the National Football League . He retired from playing in 1996 and went into coaching,...
, another former Viking.
Chicago Bears
On January 15, 2010, Tice was hired as Offensive Line coach for the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On October 3, 2010 his offensive line allowed 9 sacks in one half to the New York Giants. On September 17, 2010, against the Cowboys, his line only gave up one sack and held DeMarcus Ware, one of the leading sackers since he came into the NFL, sackless. On September 29, 2010, against the Green Bay Packers, his line held Clay Matthews, who was leading the NFL in sacks at the time, sackless.
In 2009, the Bears allowed 35 sacks on quarterback Jay Cutler.
Personal life
Mike Tice is the older brother of John TiceJohn Tice
John Kevin Tice is an American football coach and former tight end who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints...
, also a former tight end at the University of Maryland, who played ten seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. John was an assistant coach for the Vikings in Mike's tenure. His son, Nate, is a quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
.