Reports Say Shula Quits as Miami Coach

Don Shula’s record-breaking reign as the Miami Dolphins’ coach may be over.

Shula will resign after 33 NFL seasons--26 of them in Miami--and a league-record 347 victories, television stations reported Thursday. A spokesman for the Dolphins’ owner and team officials said they had no knowledge of such a move.

WTVJ and WPLG, both citing sources in the Dolphin organization, reported Shula’s resignation could come as early as today.

Stan Smith, a spokesman for Dolphin owner H. Wayne Huizenga, confirmed Huizenga had met with Shula on Wednesday. But Smith said neither he nor Eddie Jones, Dolphin general manager, knew of a resignation.

Smith said Huizenga was traveling on business and would be unavailable for comment. Shula was out celebrating his 66th birthday Thursday night and couldn’t be reached.

Shula this season led a Miami team with Super Bowl expectations to a 9-7 record and a 37-22 first-round loss in the playoffs Saturday at Buffalo.

He called this season his most frustrating and was offended by newspaper columns and polls suggesting it was time to quit after 26 years in Miami. Shula, whose lifetime record is 347-173-6, has one year left on his contract.

The reports did not address whether Shula would move into the front office or leave the team.

“I’m still trying to reach coach Shula to find out whether there’s anything to announce,” Dolphin spokesman Harvey Greene said. “No one has told me about preparing for a press conference tomorrow. I know how widespread the rumors are, but I’m not in a position to confirm them.”

Responding to the reports of Shula’s resignation, Smith said: “I think they’re a little far ahead of themselves.

“I just recently talked to Eddie Jones. He’s not aware of any planned press conference tomorrow. Wayne will be back tomorrow. I don’t have any knowledge of a resignation. Neither does Eddie Jones.”

As recently as Sunday, a day after the loss to Buffalo, Shula said he would honor the final year of his contract.

Greene said he last spoke with Shula on Wednesday, after a reporter phoned asking whether the coach still planned to return next season.

“Coach’s answer to me was, ‘Nothing has changed,’ ” Greene said. “This has caught me by surprise if it’s true.”

Jimmy Cefalo, who played under Shula from 1978-84 and hosts the coach’s weekly television show on WPLG, reported that Shula was leaving.

“I think Don Shula is still a very good NFL coach,” Cefalo said. “I think he took a very difficult situation with a handful of prima donnas and brought them into the playoffs. I don’t disagree with his decision.”

Joe Rose, who played from 1980-85 for Shula and now works for WTVJ, said he thought Shula realized how difficult it would be to bring in quality assistant coaches for the final year on his contract.

“You look at this situation, it was going to be a very difficult one to overcome,” Rose said. “It was going to be hard to bring in a top-flight defensive or offensive coordinator.”

In 1993, Shula broke the previous NFL record for victories of 324, set by George Halas. He became the only NFL coach to guide a team through an unbeaten season and postseason when the Dolphins went 17-0 in 1972. The Dolphins won the Super Bowl again in 1973, finishing 15-2 for the regular season and the postseason.

Shula’s teams appeared in six Super Bowls, more than any other coach, and reached the playoffs in four decades. He has coached two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history: Johnny Unitas and Dan Marino.

But because the Dolphins last reached the title game in 1984 and have gone 22 years without winning a Super Bowl, Shula faced increasing criticism in recent seasons from fans and the media. Some suggested he be replaced by former Dallas Cowboys and Miami Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson.

“South Florida doesn’t know what they’re going to miss yet,” Dolphins linebacker Bryan Cox said on his weekly radio show.

Shula was the youngest head coach in NFL history when the Baltimore Colts hired him in 1963 at age 33. In 1970 he joined the Dolphins, a fourth-year team from the AFL that had gone 3-10-1 the previous season.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Winningest Coach in NFL History / Highlights from Don Shula’s coaching career.

1960 Joins Detroit Lions as defensive coordinator.

1963 Succeeds Weeb Ewbank as head coach in Baltimore at age 33.

1965 Resourcefulness as coach seen when injuries sideline quarterbacks and halfback Tom Matte wears playbook on wristband and directs team to 20-17 upset of Rams in Los Angeles.

1970 Joins Dolphins replacing George Wilson, the same coach he replaced in Detroit.

1972 Guides Dolphins to 17-0 season and Super Bowl victory.

1973 Wins second Super Bowl, 24-7 over Vikings.

1983 Falls to Washington in Super Bowl XVII after strike-shortened season.

1985 Returns to Super Bowl but loses, 38-16, to San Francisco.

1988 Has first sub-.500 season, finishing 6-10.

1993 Becomes winningest coach in NFL history with 325th victory.

1995 Finishes final season with 9-7 record.