Don Shula Donald Francis " Don " Shula ( born January 4 , 1930 ) is a former American football cornerback and coach . He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins , the team he led to two Super Bowl victories , and to the National Football League ' s only perfect season . Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by " Sports Illustrated " . He currently holds the NFL record for most career wins with 347 . Shula only had two losing seasons in his 36 - year career of coaching in the NFL . He has been head coach for a record six Super Bowls . In his first , he set the record for the longest period to be shut out ( not scoring until 3 : 19 remaining ) . His next Super Bowl he set the record for the lowest points by any team ( with only one field goal ) . The very next year he turned that all around during his perfect season , breaking his record of longest period with a shut out , this time with him on the winning side ( not giving up any points until 2 : 07 remaining ) . As of 2012 , Shula ' s perfect NFL season remains unmatched , and his three Super Bowl records and total NFL wins remain unbroken . Biography . Personal life . Born in Grand River , Ohio , he has Hungarian origins , Shula grew up in suburban Cleveland , attended St . Mary ' s and graduated from Harvey High School in Painesville , and then John Carroll University . He played football at both schools , but never started . He earned a Master of Arts degree in Physical Education from Case Western Reserve University in 1954 . Playing career . In 1951 , Shula signed with the Cleveland Browns as a defensive back , though he would later rarely see time on the field . On March 26 , 1953 , he was traded to the Baltimore Colts in what was , at that time , the largest NFL player trade ever made , involving 15 players . The Colts traded T Mike McCormack , DT Don Colo , LB Tom Catlin , DB John Petitbon , and G Herschell Forester to the Browns for Shula , DB Bert Rechichar , DB Carl Taseff , LB Ed Sharkey , E Gern Nagler , QB Harry Agganis , T Dick Batten , T Stu Sheets , G Art Spinney , and G Elmer Willhoite . Shula and Taseff were teammates at John Carroll , with the Browns and with the Colts . Shula played with Baltimore for four seasons before finishing his playing career for one season with the Washington Redskins . In his seven NFL seasons , Shula played in 73 games , intercepted 21 passes and also recovered four fumbles . Early coaching career . Shula ' s first coaching position was as a defensive backs coach at the University of Virginia in 1958 where he coached under head coach Dick Voris . He stayed for one season before moving on to the same position at the University of Kentucky in 1959 where he coached under head coach Blanton Collier . In 1960 , Shula entered the NFL as defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions . Shula played under both Paul Brown and Weeb Ewbank , a Brown disciple , who is also in the Hall of Fame . Head coaching career . Baltimore Colts . 1963 – 1969 . After Ewbank left the Baltimore Colts to coach the New York Jets in 1963 , Shula was hired by Colts ' owner Carroll Rosenbloom to coach Baltimore . Shula ' s hiring was controversial because he was thought to be too young at only age 33 . Shula took the controls and led the Colts to an 8 – 6 record in 1963 . He was successful , compiling a 71 – 23 – 4 record in seven seasons with Baltimore , but he was just 2 – 3 in the postseason , including two losses in championship games in which the Colts were heavy favorites , the 1964 NFL championship game won by the Browns 27 – 0 and Super Bowl III , the game in which Joe Namath of the New York Jets guaranteed and delivered a victory . The 1965 team lost a special tie - breaker playoff game in overtime against the Green Bay Packers while using running back Tom Matte at quarterback because of injuries to Johnny Unitas and his backups . The 1967 team failed to make the playoffs despite a regular season record of 11 – 1 – 2 , losing the Coastal Division on a tiebreaker due to an 0 – 1 – 1 record vs . the Los Angeles Rams . The Colts ' only loss was a 34 – 10 setback to the Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on the final Sunday of the season . Miami Dolphins . 1970 – 1973 . After the 1969 season , Joe Robbie , owner of the Miami Dolphins , signed Shula to a contract to become Miami ' s second head coach . As a result of Shula ' s signing the team was charged with tampering by the NFL , which forced the Dolphins to give their first round pick to the Colts . The decision was controversial because Shula and Robbie ' s negotiations and signing were conducted before and after the official NFL / AFL merger , respectively . Had the negotiations been concluded before the merger , while the NFL and AFL were rivals , the NFL ' s anti - tampering rules could not have been applied . Shula ' s Miami teams were known for great offensive lines ( led by Larry Little , Jim Langer and Bob Kuechenberg ) , strong running games ( featuring Larry Csonka , Jim Kiick , and Mercury Morris ) , solid quarterbacking ( by Bob Griese and Earl Morrall ) , excellent receivers ( in Paul Warfield , Howard Twilley and TE Jim Mandich ) and a defense that worked well as a cohesive unit . The Dolphins were known as " The No - Name Defense " even though they had a number of great players , including DT Manny Fernandez and MLB Nick Buoniconti . In 1972 the Dolphins were unbeaten in the regular season , 14 – 0 – 0 . They swept the playoffs and finished 17 – 0 – 0 . Post - 1973 . Shula changed his coaching strategy as his personnel changed . His Super Bowl teams in 1971 , 1972 , 1973 and 1982 were keyed by a run - first offensive strategy and a dominating defense . In 1983 , shortly after losing Super Bowl XVII to the Washington Redskins , the Dolphins drafted quarterback Dan Marino out of the University of Pittsburgh . Marino won the starting job halfway through the 1983 regular season , and by 1984 the Dolphins were back in the Super Bowl thanks largely to Marino ' s record 5 , 084 yards through the air and 48 touchdown passes . For all his success , the Dolphins ' January , 1974 Super Bowl win over the Minnesota Vikings proved to be Shula ' s last championship . Despite consistent success in the regular season , Shula was unable to win in the post - season , failing in 12 trips to the playoffs — including two more Super Bowl appearances — before retiring after the 1995 season . His retirement following that regular season ended one of the greatest coaching legacies in NFL history . He set numerous records in his 33 seasons as a head coach . He is first in most games coached ( 526 ) , most consecutive seasons coached ( 33 ) , and Super Bowl Appearances — six , appearing once with the Baltimore Colts and five times with the Miami Dolphins . Shula had a 2 - 4 record in his six Super Bowl appearances . Shula was the head coach of the 1972 Miami Dolphins , who finished a perfect 17 - 0 and won the Super Bowl VII 14 - 7 over the Washington Redskins . Shula ' s 1973 team repeated as NFL champions , winning the 1974 Super Bowl over the Minnesota Vikings . The following season the Dolphins seemed destined to win a third title in three years , but the Dolphins fell to the Oakland Raiders 28 - 26 , in an AFC divisional playoff game in one of the greatest games ever played . With 35 seconds remaining in the game , Ken Stabler was in the process of being sacked by Vern Den Herder . Just before he was tackled , he threw a completed desperation forward pass to his running back Clarence Davis in the game ' s final moments , and in doing so ended Miami ' s dominance . The Dolphins team was decimated the following season by the creation of the now defunct World Football League and the loss of three of its star players — Larry Csonka , Jim Kiick , and Paul Warfield — to the rival league . The Dolphin franchise has never been able to duplicate the success of 1971 - 74 . Post - coaching activities . In retirement , Shula has lent his name to a chain of steakhouse s , Shula ' s Steakhouse and a line of condiments . He appeared in NutriSystem commercials with Dan Marino and other former NFL players . Family . Shula was married to Dorothy Bartish from 1958 until her death from breast cancer in 1991 . Together they had five children — including Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator , Mike Shula and former Cincinnati Bengals coach Dave Shula . In 1991 , The Don Shula Foundation for breast cancer research was founded . He remarried on October 16 , 1993 , to Mary Anne Stephens . On November 25 , 1996 he was added to the Miami Dolphin Honor Roll . In 2007 ads for NutriSystem geared for people age 60 and older featured then - 77 - year - old Shula and his 61 year - old wife Mary Anne . Other . As part of a government public awareness campaign he was the first American to sign up for Medicare Part D prescription drug plan benefits , enrolling just after midnight on November 15 , 2005 . In 2003 , in San Diego at Super Bowl XXXVII , Shula performed the ceremonial coin toss to end the pregame ceremonies . In 2007 , in Miami at Super Bowl XLI , Shula took part in the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation . On March 25 , 2007 , Shula presented the Winners Cup to Tiger Woods , winner of the 2007 WGC - CA Golf Tournament held at the Doral Resort in Miami . On February 3 , 2008 , he participated in the opening of Super Bowl XLII . In 2011 , he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his humanitarian efforts . Legacy . Shula set numerous records in his 33 seasons as a head coach . He is the All - Time leader in Victories with 347 . He is first in most games coached ( 526 ) , most consecutive seasons coached ( 33 ) , and Super Bowl losses ( 4 , tied with Bud Grant , Dan Reeves and Marv Levy ) . His teams won seven NFL conference titles : 1964 , 1968 , 1971 – 73 , 1982 and 1984 . Shula ' s teams were consistently among the " least penalized " in the NFL , and Shula served on the Rules Committee , to help change the game to a more pass oriented league . He had a winning record against every coach he ever faced except Levy , against whom he was 5 – 14 during the regular season and 0 – 3 in the playoffs . Shula also holds the distinction of having coached five different quarterbacks to Super Bowl appearances ( John Unitas and Earl Morrall in 1968 , Bob Griese in 1971 , 1972 and 1973 , David Woodley in 1982 and Dan Marino in 1984 ) three of them ( Unitas , Griese and Marino ) future Hall of Famers . He also coached John Unitas to another World Championship appearance ( in the pre - Super Bowl era ) in 1964 . The only other NFL coach to approach this distinction is Joe Gibbs who coached four Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks ( Joe Theismann , Doug Williams and Mark Rypien ) , winning three times . Shula is honored at the Don Shula Stadium at John Carroll University , and the Don Shula Expressway in Miami . An annual college football game between South Florida schools Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University is named the Shula Bowl in his honor . The game ' s winner receives a traveling trophy named the Don Shula Award . On January 31 , 2010 a statue of him was unveiled at Sun Life Stadium . Writings . He has co - authored three books : " The Winning Edge " ( 1973 ) with Lou Sahadi ISBN 0 - 525 - 23500 - 0 , " Everyone ' s a Coach " ( 1995 ) ISBN 0 - 310 - 20815 - 7 and " The Little Black Book of Coaching : Motivating People to be Winners " ( 2001 ) ; ISBN 0 - 06 - 662103 - 8 , both with Kendra Blanchard .