The greatest coach in Dolphins history has gone to be with Warner, Rockne, Lombardi and the rest of his peers. Rest in Peace, coach! Image Unavailable, Please Login
I don't think he was considered "underrated" was he? I always thought he was considered one of the greatest (of his time). RIP Don. Go Fins!
Considering the length of his tenure, his greatest asset seemed to be his ability to adjust with the times and with his personnel. In the early '70s, they were a running team, the first to have two 1000-yard rushers in the same season (which was only 14 games then). But with Marino, they became the first team to have a 5000-yard passing season, with 48 touchdown passes, shattering the prior record. He had the odd losing season but always seemed to adjust and get the team back to winning form. And they really have never been able to accomplish that with any consistency since his retirement!
Same with Dallas and Jimmy Johnson... (aside from winning the SB the year after Jimmy left - with all of Jimmy's players)
When 'great coaches' discussions come up, he isn't honored like he should be. It always seems to be Bill Walsh, Chuck Noll, Vince Lombardi, Bill Belichick...
I think that's because he only won two Super Bowls and had a losing record in them. But any single game, even the SB, can be a crap shoot where the difference between winning and losing can be a hair's breadth. In the Marino years, the problem was that the defense was always good but never quite good enough. (To me the "Killer B's" were colorful but overrated.) But at least he succeeded where Belichick failed - completing the perfect season!
Not a lot of people know this but Bear Bryant accepted the head coaching position at Miami but changed his mind and decided to stay at Alabama. Shula was hired and the rest, for the both of them, is history
The Dolphins were accused of tampering when they talked with Shula while he was still coaching Baltimore, and the Dolphins had to forfeit their first-round draft pick in 1971 to the Colts. So Shula was effectively Miami's first-round draft pick in '71 - arguably the best first-round draft pick in team history!
