Legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula has died at the age of 90.
Shula guided the Dolphins to successive Super Bowl victories in the 1970s, and holds the record for the most career wins as an NFL head coach with 347.
He guided the Dolphins to the NFL’s only perfect season in 1972, winning all 14 regular season games, two play-off games and beating the Washington Redskins to win his first Super Bowl.
The Dolphins won the 1973 Super Bowl but Shula lost for other finals.
One of those was defeats was with the Batlimore Colts, who he coached from 1963 before moving to the Dolphins in 1970, where he remained until retiring in 1995. In all, he coached in a record 526 games across 33 seasons.
“The Miami Dolphins are saddened to announce that head coach Don Shula passed away peacefully at his home this morning,” said a statement.
“Don Shula was the patriarch of the Miami Dolphins for 50 years. He brought the winning edge to our franchise and put the Dolphins and the city of Miami in the national sports scene.”
As a player, Shula played as a defensive back for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts, and Washington Redskins across seven seasons.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Shula “will always be remembered as one of the greatest coaches and contributors in the history of our game”.
In a statement, he added: “He made an extraordinarily positive impact on so many lives. The winningest coach in NFL history and the only one to lead a team to a perfect season, Coach Shula lived an unparalleled football life.”
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
Source link
