Some of the greatest pioneers of our game have been men who roamed the sidelines. I’m talking about head coaches. I’d be here all day if I listed some of the great coaches in the history of this game. To name a few, there’s the great Vince Lombardi. The man’s name is on the biggest trophy in the sport that each team plays for. Bill Belichick now is the greatest coach living. Then, you have Mr. Don Shula. A tremendous leader of men. Today, I’m saddened to say that the game of football has lost an iconic figure today at the age of 90.
Don Shula is one of the three greatest head coaches ever to coach this game. Prior to coaching, he played in the NFL for eight seasons. Mr. Shula played with the Cleveland Browns, the-then Baltimore Colts and Washington Redskins. After playing, he landed his first coaching job as an assistant at the University of Virginia. His first head coaching job was with the Baltimore Colts. In 1970, the Miami Dolphins hired him. Many of Mr. Shula’s Miami teams were known for their running games, strong offensive lines, consistent quarterbacking, a dominant running game and a defense that would that played as a cohesive unit.
Mr. Shula is the only coach in NFL history to lead a team to a perfect season (1972 Dolphins). He coached for 33 years which is the most of any other coach ever. He also won 347 games which is the most in league history. In all those years of coaching, Mr. Shula only recorded two losing seasons. He’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The class of 1997. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, the Dolphins organizations and those who played for him.
