Shula, Don (1930-2020), won more games than any other head coach in the history of the National Football League (NFL). Shula was a head coach in the NFL for 33 seasons, from 1963 to 1969 with the Baltimore Colts and from 1970 to 1995 with the Miami Dolphins. He won a record 328 regular-season games and 19 more in postseason competition. He coached his teams to six Super Bowls, winning the NFL championship in 1973 and 1974.
Donald Francis Shula was born on Jan. 4, 1930, in Grand River, Ohio. After graduating from John Carroll University in 1951, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Shula played as a defensive back with the Browns (1951-1952), Baltimore Colts (1953-1956), and Washington Redskins (1957, now called the Washington Commanders).
Shula became an assistant coach at the University of Virginia in 1958 and the University of Kentucky in 1959. He was an assistant coach of the Detroit Lions of the NFL from 1960 to 1962 before becoming head coach in Baltimore in 1963. In addition to his football activities, Shula was active in charitable work, especially in Roman Catholic organizations and in raising money to fight diseases. Shula was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. He died on May 4, 2020.
