Mike Tice

Michael Peter Tice (born February 2, 1959) 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.

Playing career
Tice attended the University of Maryland, College Park 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.

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 season, 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.

Jacksonville Jaguars
He was hired as Assistant Head Coach/Offense of Jacksonville by Jack Del Rio, another former Viking.

Chicago Bears
On January 15, 2010, Tice was hired as Offensive Line coach for the Chicago Bears. 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 Tice, 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.