MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – The family of the legendary coach Don Shula held a private service on Friday at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. There was a procession from Miami Beach to Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery in Doral.
Shula, who with 347 career wins had more than any other NFL coach in history, died on Monday at his Indian Creek home. He was 90.
Shula was most loved in South Florida for coaching the 1972 Miami Dolphins to a perfect 17-0 record season.
He was born Jan. 4, 1930, in Grand River, Ohio. He joined the NFL as a defensive back in 1951. For seven years, he played with the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts and Washington.
After 26 years of coaching the Miami Dolphins, he retired in 1996. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him in 1997. His health began to deteriorate after he underwent a heart procedure in 2016.
Shula is survived by his wife Mary Anne Stephens, eight children, 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula stands on the sideline during a 14-3 loss to the Colts in Baltimore, Dec. 13, 1971.Baltimore Colts coach Don Shula and teammates crowd around injured quarterback Johnny Unitas as he limps from the field during the second quarter of a game against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 6, 1965.Baltimore Colts coach Don Shula leaves the field after a 34-10 loss to the Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Dec. 17, 1967.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula shows his dejection in the Dolphins locker room after his team lost its hope for a playoff berth on Dec. 18, 1977.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula testifies on April 28, 1978, before a House subcommittee that TV blackouts of soldout NFL games spawned a generation of no-shows, crippling ticket sales.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula is congratulated atop the toll booth along State Road 874 on Aug. 4, 1983, after the highway was named for him. State Sen. Roberta Fox and Florida Rep. JohnMiami Dolphins coach Don Shula, center, is surrounded by reporters and photographers during picture day for Super Bowl XVII at the team's headquarters in Fullerton, California on Jan. 26, 1983.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula speaks with quarterbacks Dan Marino (13) and Don Strock (10) during Super Bowl XIX against the San Francisco 49ers at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California, Jan. 20, 1985. The Dolphins lost 38-16.Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and coach Don Shula smile while answering questions during a news conference at the team's hotel in Oakland, California, before Super Bowl XIX, Jan. 15, 1985.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula waves to fans as he steps off the plane after his team's 24-7 victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII, Jan. 14, 1974.David Shula, 14, writes down information as he stands next to his father, Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula, during a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders in Miami on Jan. 4, 1974. David takes messages from upstairs and keeps them for later reference.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula plays with three of his children at his Miami Lakes home on Jan. 5, 1972.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula is carried off the field by his players after his team's 14-7 win against the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII on Jan. 14, 1973. The Dolphins finished the season undefeated with a 17-0 record.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula speaks with team owner Joe Robbie in 1970.Don Shula becomes coach of the Miami Dolphins in 1970.A smiling Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula leaves the field at Joe Robbie Stadium after the Dolphins defeated the Green Bay Packers to give Shula his 300th victory, Sept. 22, 1991.Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy and Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula bid farewell after the Bills beat the Dolphins 37-22, Dec. 30, 1995, at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. It was Shula's final game before he retired.Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese, left, is pictured in New Orleans with coach Don Shula, Jan. 15, 1972, in preparation for the Super Bowl.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula meets with his son, Cincinnati Bengals coach Dave Shula, before the start of their game, Oct. 1, 1995, in Cincinnati.Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula gives quarterback Dan Marino a congratulatory hug as Marino was honored for breaking three passing records previously held by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton, Dec. 11, 1995.Don Shula hugs Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga during a news conference in which Shula announced his resignation after 26 years as head coach, Jan. 5, 1996.No description foundFormer Miami Dolphins safety Dick Anderson, center, poses with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga and former coach Don Shula after being inducted into the Dolphins Honor Roll during a halftime ceremony during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dec. 3, 2006 at Dolphin Stadium.Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino speaks with former coach Don Shula on the sideline before the Dolphins met the Baltimore Ravens in a game at Sun Life Stadium on Dec. 7, 2014, in Miami Gardens, Florida.Former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula greets coach Joe Philbin before the Dolphins met the New York Jets in a game at Sun Life Stadium on Dec. 28, 2014, in Miami Gardens, Florida.Miami Dolphins greats Dan Marino, Don Shula and Larry Csonka are shown on the field before the Dolphins met the Minnesota Vikings in a game at Sun Life Stadium on Dec. 21, 2014, in Miami Gardens, Florida.Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, left, toasts, former head coach Don Shula, during a half time celebrating the 1972 undefeated team during at an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Fla.To the right is CEO Tom Garfinkel. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)Former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula is greeted on the field by former players during half time at an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The 1972 undefeated team was celebrated on the field. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)All DON SHULA did in his 26 seasons as Dolphins head coach was win a record 347 games, two Super Bowls, five AFC championships and a Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket. That's all.
Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula stands on the sideline during a 14-3 loss to the Colts in Baltimore, Dec. 13, 1971.
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The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.
