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DON SHULA
NFL COACHING LEGEND
Shula broke into the NFL as a lone rookie on Coach Paul Brown’s defending NFL champion Cleveland Browns in 1951. He was involved in the largest trade in modern history, a 15 player deal with Baltimore in 1953.Shula played four seasons with the Colts (1953-56), and one season at Washington (1957) at right cornerback. He had 21 career interceptions for 247 yards in seven seasons.
Shula succeeded Weeb Eubank as Head Coach in Baltimore after serving three years (1960-62) as defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, with the team going 26-13-1 during that time. Shula entered the Coaching ranks with an assistants job at Virginia 1958 and Kentucky 1959 before joining the Lions. Shula spent seven years (1963-69) as Head Coach of the Baltimore Colts.
Shula became the second Head Coach in the Dolphin Franchise’s history when he replaced George Wilson on February 18, 1970.During his tenure with the Dolphins (1970-95) Shula attained a winning percentage of .658 which was the best in all of Proffesional Sports. During this period the Dolphins either won or shared first place in the AFC East 15 times in 26 years, and reached the playoffs 16 times.
Coach Shula’s ultimate achievement was the NFL’s only unbeaten, untied record of 17-0 in 1972, which was capped by a 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins in Superbowl VII. He won a second consecutive Super Bowl title in 1973, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in Superbowl VIII, and compiled an overall record of 32-2 in the ‘72-’73 back to back seasons. A two year mark that has yet to be broken.
Shula’s record as head coach of the Dolphins (1970-95) and before that as head coach of the Baltimore Colts (1963-69) is unmatched in National Football League History. He Owns a career record of 347 wins (.665), including a regular season mark of 328 (.676) and is the Winningest Coach in NFL history.
Shula won his 325th career game on November 14, 1993 in Philadelphia, when the Dolphins defeated the Eagles (19-14), moving him past the immortal George Halas (324) and setting an NFL record for most career victories.
On July 26,1997, Don Shula capped an illustrious career when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He was elected into that shrine on January 25, 1997, his first year of eligibility. Shula’s unanimous election to the Hall was the ultimate honor in a career full of record-setting accomplishments.
Don Shula is an NFL legend, having retired as the winningest coach in NFL history. The winning philosophies that he applied for years with the Dolphins are the basis for his bestseller, Everyone’s A Coach, written with Ken Blanchard.
