To coach the Vikings or the Gophers?

When Les Steckel was a coach for the Minnesota Vikings, he lived in my neighborhood in Bloomington. Many Minnesotans remember Les Steckel, although possibly not very fondly. He was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1984, when the team had a 3-13 season. Before being head coach, Steckel coached the receivers, tight ends and special teams.

Steckel was obsessed with being a head coach, and the University of Minnesota approached him about their head coaching position in 1983. On page 77-78 of One Yard Short, Steckel recounts how he consulted God as to whether to stay with the Vikings or go to the Gophers:

I rose from bed, walked into my study, and dropped to my knees beside the window. A huge harvest moon looked down on me from the night sky.

I prayed, 'Lord, I'm scared to death. This head coaching thing is all I can talk about, all I can think about, everything I've dreamed about. You know what's inside me, Lord; you know me better that I know myself. Tomorrow they're going to make the offer. I want it, but I don't know if you want it for me.'

I paused and had a crazy thought. 'Lord,' I said, 'let something fall out of the sky. I just need a clear answer. Please, let something fall out of the sky to tell me what to do.'

A few hours later I left for work. And at the end of the day, Bud Grant materialized in my doorway -- something that didn't happen too often with assistants. He said, 'Les, can I see you for five minutes?'

The word was out about the college job. Reporters knew, players were asking me if I was leaving, and I figured Bud had the same question. I was in for a shocker.

He said, 'Les, I understand you're going to be offered the job at the university. We respect you a great deal as a coach and as a person, and I want you to know one thing. I'm going to retire at the end of the season, and I want you to be my successor. The general manager and the owner agree with me. We want you to be the next head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.'

So Steckel became the Vikings' head coach, and Lou Holtz ended up taking the head coaching job for the Gopher football team.