Donald Francis Shula (January 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020) was an American football defensive back and coach who led the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995 as a head coach.
Shula, who spent most of his career as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, is the NFL’s greatest coach, with 347 career victories and 328 regular-season triumphs. He spent his first seven seasons as the head coach of the Baltimore Colts before moving on to the Miami Dolphins for the next 26 years.
What teams did Don Shula coach?
Throughout the coaching career of Don Shula, he has been with only two teams;
- Baltimore Colts
- Miami Dolphins
Don Shula With Baltimore Colts As A Coach
Weeb Ewbank, who had coached Shula in Cleveland and Baltimore, was ousted as the Colts’ head coach in 1963 after three unsuccessful seasons and disagreements with owner Carroll Rosenbloom over club strategy and organization. Rosenbloom named Shula as the team’s next head coach almost immediately after recruiting him for the position.
Shula was only 33 years old at the time, making him the league’s youngest coach, but Rosenbloom knew his demeanor and approach from his playing days in Baltimore.
Don Shula With Miami Dolphins As A Coach
Shula’s relationship with Rosenbloom had deteriorated following his Super Bowl defeat in 1969, so when Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie offered him a $70,000-per-year contract, general manager responsibilities, and a 10% ownership position in the AFL franchise after that season, he leaped at the chance.
Rosenbloom complained about Robbie’s employment of his coach in an NFL meeting in Hawaii in 1970, alleging that it violated the league’s policy on tampering, or negotiating to recruit other teams’ workers without permission.
Shula and Robbie hoped that Shula’s ownership share and status as his own general manager would protect him from tampering charges under a rule that allows an employee to “better himself” by leaving a team.
The Dolphins were deemed in violation of the league’s tampering regulation because they did not seek permission to negotiate and did not tell the Colts of the hire before it was made public. Rozelle punished the Colts by giving them Miami’s first-round pick in 1971.
