NFL Hall of Famer and former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula passed away at his home Monday morning. He was 90 years old.
The Miami Dolphins announced that NFL legend Don Shula passed away Monday morning.
The Miami Dolphins are saddened to announce that Head Coach Don Shula passed away peacefully at his home this morning. pic.twitter.com/MKAtXFA4zd
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) May 4, 2020
The legendary head coach is known for leading the Dolphins to the only undefeated season in NFL history in 1972. Shula was more than just that one season though.
Shula has the most wins ever by a head coach with 328, he has the 11th best winning percentage of all time, and his 19 playoff appearances are also an NFL record.
He coached in six Super Bowls, winning two of them, but never reached the peak with Dan Marino. The pair had a 116 wins together and made the playoffs seven times together. They went to the Super Bowl together just once in 1984, a loss to Joe Montana’s 49ers.
Shula and the New York Jets had a special relationship. Shula was the head coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1968 when the Jets pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NFL history to win Super Bowl III. He would coach only one more season with the Colts before being fired.
Shula was immediately hired to be the second head coach in Dolphins’ history, a position he held for 26 years. In that time, Shula went 30-21-1 against the Jets. They had a back and forth rivalry despite what the record might say.
Shula started his career as the Dolphins head coach 14-2 against the Jets. He would then lose nine of the next 10 with the 10th game being a tie. After that, Shula and the Jets would go back and forth with Shula’s Dolphins edging the Jets in the win column.
Don Shula may not have ever coached in New York, but he’s made a mark that’ll never fade in the minds of Jets fans. He’s an NFL icon and will be missed by the football community.
