Former NFL player, coach and GM Dan Reeves died Saturday morning at the age of 77. Reeves was the victim of complications from dementia.
As a kid, I saw Reeves in NFL highlights as someone who had started for Dallas in those two consecutive NFL championship games against Green Bay in the mid 1960’s. Here is perhaps his most famous play from the “Ice Bowl,” I saw many times growing up watching NFL Films:
Dan Reeves throws a 50 yard TD to Rentzel #RIPDanReeves pic.twitter.com/sNWnWE332R
— Old Time Football
(@Ol_TimeFootball) January 1, 2022
I do recall a couple of years later Dallas had starting half backs like Duane Thomas or Calvin Hill. Reeves was a backup, getting little time, playing mostly on special teams.
Perhaps my earliest memory of Reeves is a vivid play, I’ve recalled all of my life from Super Bowl V.
Dallas and Baltimore (Colts) were tied 13-13 late in the game and Dallas coach Tom Landry had Reeves in the game with under two minutes to play. Dallas QB Craig Morton rolled to his right and his pass was high to Reeves. Reeves did not make the catch, tipping the ball into the air where Colts linebacker Mike Curtis (who later played for Washington) intercepted, leading to the Colts 16-13 win.
Retiring after the 1972 season, I recall Reeves being on the Cowboys sidelines as a running backs coach and then offensive coordinator (1974-1980).
Having learned from Landry as a player, a position coach and offensive coordinator, Reeves was hired by the Denver Broncos to be their head coach in 1981, a job he held through the 1992 season.
Reeves led the Broncos to eight winning seasons, three AFC championships and three trips to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately for Reeves, the Broncos lost each of the three title games, including Super Bowl XXII to the Washington Redskins 42-10, coached by Joe Gibbs.
With Denver, Reeves compiled a 110-73-1 regular season record and 7-6 in the playoffs.
Reeves then moved to coach the NY Giants and in 1993 was voted AP Coach of the Year as the Giants were 11-5. Reeves pretty much owned Washington, going 6-2 against the then Redskins coached by Richie Petitbon (1993) and Norv Turner (1994-2000). The Giants would win again in ’94 (9-7) but two losing seasons followed and Reeves was on the move again.
The Atlanta Falcons were a dreadful 3-13 in 1996, so they hired Reeves and quickly rose to 7-9 in ’97 and then experienced a dream year in 1998, going 14-2, winning the NFC Championship before losing to Denver in Super Bowl 33. Reeves served as Head Coach and head of player personnel (GM) and AP Coach of the Year again in 1998.
However, only one winning season would follow in 2002 (9-6-1) and Reeves’ last season coaching was the 2003 season.
As a player, assistant coach and head coach Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls. He spent 38 years in the league and was one of only seven coaches in NFL history with 200 overall coaching wins.
Reeves was widely respected around the league as a man and a coach. Some notable coaching names who were on his staffs were Raymond Berry, Emmitt Thomas, Art Shell, Wade Phillips and Mike Shanahan.