George Halas coached in the NFL’s first season in 1920. Bill Belichick is coaching in 2020. Don Shula coached against both of them.
Shula, who died on Monday at the age of 90, had a coaching career that spanned decades, and saw him coach against many of the other great coaches in NFL history, including Halas and Belichick. Shula coached against Halas in the 1960s when Shula was beginning his coaching career with the Colts and Halas was winding down his career with the Bears. And Shula coached against Belichick in the 1990s when Shula was winding down his coaching career with the Dolphins and Belichick was beginning his career with the Browns.
Shula was selected by the Browns in the 1951 NFL draft, played in Cleveland, Baltimore and Washington, and then became a college assistant coach for two years and a Lions assistant for three years before becoming head coach of the Colts in 1963. After the 1969 season Shula left Baltimore for Miami, where he coached the Dolphins for 26 years.
Shula is the NFL’s all-time leader with 347 coaching wins. Halas is second with 324. Belichick is third with 304.
