Lombardi, Vince

Lombardi, Vince (Vincent Thomas Lombardi), 1913–70, American football coach, b. New York City. As a student at Fordham Univ., he was a member of the famed “Seven Blocks of Granite” line. After great success as a high school coach (1939–46), Lombardi coached at Fordham and West Point. Entering professional football in 1954, he was a coach with the New York Giants. In 1958 he became head coach of the Green Bay Packers. In nine seasons with the Packers (1958–68), he led the team to six conference titles and five championships, including victories in the first two Super Bowls (1967–68). In 1968 he became general manager of the club, but in 1969–70 he moved to coach the Washington Redskins. He was elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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