Tony Sparano's cause of death released by medical examiner

July 24, 2018 at 11:22AM
Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano died of natural causes resulting from heart disease, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office revealed Monday.
Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano died of natural causes resulting from heart disease, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed Monday. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano died of natural causes from arteriosclerotic heart disease, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office said in a release Monday evening.

Sparano, 56, died at 8:54 a.m. Sunday morning after collapsing in the kitchen of his home on Bearpath Trail in Eden Prairie. He and his wife, Jeanette, were on their way to church.

Emergency personnel were called shortly after Jeanette found Sparano unconscious. Sparano had complained of chest pains last Thursday, went to the hospital and was released Friday.

Sparano's children — sons Tony and Andrew and daughter Ryan Leigh — were on their way to Minnesota on Monday. Funeral arrangements have not been finalized.

"Our hearts go out to Jeanette and the entire Sparano family as we all mourn the loss of Tony," Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement Sunday.

Mark Craig

about the writer

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).

See More