Don Shula’s legendary career was highlighted by perfection
The man with more wins than any head coach in NFL history, Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Shula, left an indelible mark on the game of football.
Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, who passed away Monday morning at the age of 90, saw his share of heartbreak on the field as well. But it’s safe to say that the positives outweighed the negatives during his amazing career.
There are the legendary images of him being carried off the field during two of the biggest moments in the history of the NFL. As the head coach of the 17-0 Miami Dolphins following a win in Super Bowl VII and 21 years later (1993) after becoming the league’s all-time leader in coaching victories.
Over his career, there were seven seasons as the leader of the Baltimore Colts. Shula amassed a 71-23-4 regular-season record with the franchise, took his club to the 1964 NFL title game (a loss to the Browns) and also led the franchise to Super Bowl III. Of course, Shula’s team was on the wrong end of one of the biggest upsets in NFL annals as the New York Jets stunned the Colts, 16-7, at Miami’s Orange Bowl.
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In 1970, the standout sideline leader took over a Miami Dolphins’ club that was born from expansion in 1966. He had this club in the playoffs during his five seasons on the job and took the Dolphins to three consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1971-73.
The team fell short the first time (24-3 loss to Cowboys in VI) but won consecutive Lombardi Trophies the following two years. And in 1972, the team completed the first undefeated (and only to date) campaign in league annals, capping off a 17-0 season with a 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Later, there would be more Super Bowl appearances for the Dolphins and. During the strike-shortened season of 1982, Miami finished 7-2 and earned a trip to Pasadena in Super Bowl XVII. But Shula would run into another future Hall of Fame head coach in Joe Gibbs and his Redskins rallied for a 27-17 win over the ‘Fins.
Two years later, with a different quarterback in the form of electrifying Dan Marino, Miami finished a stellar 14-2 and rolled the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoffs. But once again, Shula with fall short of winning a third Super Bowl title as another coaching legend, Bill Walsh, led the San Francisco 49ers to a convincing 38-16 victory over Miami in Super Bowl XIX at Palo Alto.
That was the franchise’s last appearance on Super Sunday. The Dolphins would go on to reach the AFC title game in both 1985 and in 1992 but lost at home in each instance to the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, respectively.
And speaking of their rivals from Orchard Park, Shula’s last game as an NFL head coach would be a 37-22 loss at Buffalo in the 1995 AFC Wild Card Playoffs. He would finish his days in South Florida with a 257-133-2 regular-season ledger and a 19-17 playoff record.
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It all adds up to 33 straight years as an NFL sideline leader (1963-95). And including the postseason, Shula finished with basically twice as many victories as losses (347-173-6). And, of course, more wins than any coach in the 100-year history of the league. One of the game’s great figures made a lasting impression.