Former Cardinals HC Vince Tobin Dies at Age 79

The Arizona Cardinals announced that Vince Tobin, who served as the team's head coach from the 1996 to 2000 seasons, died Monday morning at age 79.

According to ESPN, a cause of death has not been disclosed publicly at this time.

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill released the following statement:

"Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who knew and loved Vince Tobin, and in particular his wife Kathy and their family. As head coach of the Cardinals, his steady leadership was a constant and a big part of the success the team enjoyed during his tenure. His football legacy with us is highlighted by the thrilling 1998 season, return to the postseason, and upset playoff win at Dallas. He will also be remembered for his instrumental role in key decisions like drafting Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman."

"More than that, he was a consummate family man and always a class act who positively impacted everyone he encountered."

Plummer, who played quarterback under Tobin with the Cardinals, was among those in the NFL community who expressed their condolences on Twitter:

Tobin was 28-43 in his five seasons as Arizona's head coach, though he led the team to its first playoff since the 1947 season during the 1998 campaign.

His long coaching career included NFL stops with the Chicago Bears (1986-92), Indianapolis Colts (1994-95) and Detroit Lions (2001) as a defensive coordinator and the Green Bay Packers (2004) as a special assistant.

He also had stops in the college game, serving as Missouri's defensive coordinator during the 1971-76 seasons. And he coached in both the CFL as the BC Lions' defensive coordinator (1977-82) and the USFL as the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars' defensive coordinator (1983-85).