John Madden Public Memorial Service to Be Held Feb. 14 at Oakland Coliseum

The NFL and the family of John Madden announced Monday that Oakland's RingCentral Coliseum would host a public memorial on Feb. 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET to honor the life of the former head coach, broadcaster and video game pioneer. 

Ticket sales for the event will benefit the John Madden Foundation "to provide educational opportunities for the youth of Oakland."

Madden died unexpectedly on Dec. 28 at the age of 85. 

His career touched on nearly every aspect of the NFL, from the game itself to media and entertainment. As a head coach he went 103-32-7 for the Oakland Raiders between 1969-78, reaching the playoffs eight times and winning a title in the 1976 campaign. 

His .759 winning percentage is the best in NFL history among coaches with 100 or more games. 

"Few individuals meant as much to the growth and popularity of professional football as Coach Madden, whose impact on the game both on and off the field was immeasurable," the Raiders said in a statement at the time of his death.

Madden's impact then extended into the broadcast booth, where he became the profession's most respected football color commentator, pairing with play-by-play announcer Pat Summerall for many years. 

He won 16 Sports Emmy Awards and called 11 Super Bowls in his broadcasting career. 

And Madden was also the face of EA Sports' Madden football series, still the preeminent football video game and one of the most successful sports franchises in video game history. He wasn't just the face, though—Madden was a regular consultant on the game, helping to push it toward being a more realistic simulation. 

"Nobody loved football more than Coach. He was football," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement at the time of Madden's death. "He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today."