Legendary NFL Coach, Ohio Native Don Shula Dies

CLEVELAND —Don Shula, the Northeast Ohio boy who became the head coach of the only undefeated team in NFL history, died Monday. He was 90.

During his 50-year stint with the Miami Dolphins, Shula won 372 games, more than any other coach in NFL history. He won two Super Bowls and recorded the only undefeated season in NFL history with the 1972 Dolphins.

In a statement issued Monday morning, the Dolphins confirmed Shula's death.

"Don Shula was the patriarch of the Miami Dolphins for 50 years. He brought the winning edge to our franchise and put the Dolphins and the city of Miami in the national sports scene," the franchise said. "Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to Mary Anne along with his children Dave, Donna, Sharon, Anne and Mike."

Before he was a head coach, Shula was a Northeast Ohio boy. He grew up in Painesville before going to John Carroll University, a small college located in a suburb of Cleveland. He played running back for the Blue Streaks and was drafted by his hometown Cleveland Browns in 1951.

A position change saw Shula become a defensive back at the pro level. He racked up 21 career interceptions during a seven-year career in the NFL. He became a head coach for the first time in 1963, joining the Baltimore Colts, according to John Carroll University.

The John Carroll University football stadium is named for Shula, who is the only alum to make it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame lowers its flags to half-mast on Monday, in honor of Shula.

"The game has lost one of the greats today, but we have all lost a truly incredible man. Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula served as an ambassador for this great game for more than half a century. His legendary feats on the gridiron led him to a record 347 wins to become the winningest coach in NFL history and allowed him to lead the 1972 Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history," said Pro Football Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker.

Two of Shula'a children followed him into the NFL as coaches. Mike Shula is a quarterbacks coach for the Denver Broncos, while David Shula was the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals for four years in the 1990s, according to ESPN.