No matter whether you look at him as the greatest coach or just one of the greatest coaches of all time, there is no denying the greatness that resonated from Shula. In 33 seasons as a head coach Shula only saw his team go under .500 twice and he is still the only coach in NFL history to lead his team to a perfect season (playoffs included).
Not only did Shula have this remarkable record on his legacy but he was also the winningest coach in NFL history with 328—10 more than George Halas and 55 more than the active leader Bill Belichick (273). Due to all of this it is no surprise that Shula was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
The Miami Herald was the first to report on the legendary coach’s passing with the Miami Dolphins soon after confirming it in a separate statement.
Shula rose to fame while coaching the Dolphins especially during the perfect season of 1972 and the following season where they won their second championship (1972 and 1973), but he got his start in coaching at the age of 30 as the defensive backs coach, quickly rising to the ranks of defensive coordinator during the next season for the Detroit Lions.
Shula and his defenses worked to perfection during his first two seasons as defensive coordinator and that helped him quickly rise through the ranks of coaching. Two years later Shula would be in the only coaching position that he would be for the rest of his career, Head Coach. In 1963 at the age of 33 the Baltimore Colts signed the young head coach, the first move that led to the winningest coach of all-time.
Shula helped lead the Colts to four NFL West titles and an NFL Championship (1968) during his seven seasons in Baltimore. Shula was never to win a Super Bowl in Baltimore and the outcome to Super Bowl III eventually led to Shula’s departure after the 1969 season. In his seven seasons in Baltimore Shula had a record of 71-23-4 (.755).
After his time in Baltimore Shula headed to Miami to take control of the Dolphins. In 1970 and 1971 Shula led his teams to the playoffs but in both seasons, he was unable to win a Super Bowl. Finally, in 1972 Shula led potentially the greatest team of all-time to a perfect regular season (14-0) steamrolling almost every team in their way. Only three of their 14 games were decided by seven or less points.
The playoffs were a different story, each of their three games were decided by seven or less points, but it all ended with a Super Bowl victory for Shula and the Dolphins.
The next season the Dolphins record was not quite as good (14-2) but they still made the playoffs and had a much easier time than the previous season. They would go on to win their second Super Bowl in two years and all three of their games were decided by at least 17 points.
Shula would never win another championship, but his teams were always dangerous. In his first 13 seasons with the Colts and the Dolphins Shula was 138-39-5 (.758). Finally, in his 14th season Shula experienced his first losing season when the Dolphins finished 6-8.
Shula only had two losing seasons in his 33-year head coaching career and only 6 non-winning seasons, he was one of the greatest regular season coaches ever. He finished with a 19-17 postseason record—his 19 playoff victories are the third-most in league history with his 19 playoff appearances being the most in history.
Shula finished with so many records in the NFL, including wins and wins over .500 with 172. Not only did Shula go down as one of the greatest NFL coaches of all-time, but he left a legacy beyond football. After his career, Shula started the Don Shula Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. Shula has truly left an everlasting legacy on and off the field.