Jim Tunney, Tunneyside: Remembering Don Shula on his birthday

After further review … Records are made to be broken goes the old saw. In the NFL, receivers, quarterbacks, and running backs continue to re-establish marks in the record books. In the coaching ranks, records in today’s game seem to do the same. Except one!

Coach Don Shula’s 347 NFL victories will never be broken. Shula was a head coach in the NFL for 33 years. While it may be possible, it is highly unlikely in today’s coaching climate.

Shula didn’t start his professional coaching career to be the winningest coach of all time, he started with just winning the next game. His first NFL victory as head coach was with the  Baltimore Colts in 1963. He was 33 years old. However, in 1965 Shula lost an NFL Conference Champion game to Vince Lombardi and his Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field. Legend has it that he lost that game because of an official’s wrong call. That official was me!

With only minutes to go in the fourth quarter and the Colts ahead 10-7, the Packers set up for a field goal attempt. Don Chandler, Green Bay’s straight-on placekicker, kicked a high one that sliced right high above the right upright. The field judge standing under that upright post signaled it “good” which tied the game at 10. In overtime Chandler again kicked a winner — Packers won 13-10. The next year the NFL increased the length of that post from 10 feet above the crossbar to 20 feet. Shula called that the TunneyExtension!

When Shula moved on to be the head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 1970, it took only his second season (1971) for him to take the Dolphins to the Super Bowl (VI vs the Dallas Cowboys). The Dolphins had a well-balanced offense with QB Bob Griese, great running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick as well as two outstanding wide receivers in Paul Warfield and Howard Twilley. The Dolphins lost 24-3. I was the referee in that Super Bowl.

That loss inspired Shula, as legend has it, to give this post-game speech to his defeated Dolphins. “Gentlemen,” he said in the locker room after that game, “Today, we start next season to play in and win Super Bowl VII.” Not only did the Dolphins play in Super Bowl VII and defeat the Washington Redskins 14-7 but set an undefeated season win-record of 17 straight wins. That record of 17 wins and no losses still stands today – 47 years later.

Shula coached teams played in six Super Bowls a record at that time winning two — VII and VIII. Coach, as everyone called him, died May 4, 2020. He would have been 91 today – Jan. 4.

After Shula and I both retired we became close friends and traveled together giving speeches on cruise ships as well as having weekly lunches and going to Mass on Saturdays. I miss him.

Will you recognize Coach Don Shula as one who rose to the top of his profession?

To contact Jim, go to www.jimtunney.com or email jim@jimtunney.com. Stories like the above can be found in Tunney’s books. They can be purchased via Pay Pal or sending a check to Jim Tunney Youth Foundation (501c3) P.O. Box 1440 Pebble Beach, Ca. 93953.