Don Shula's Private Funeral Mass To Be Held Friday
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Don Shula, the winningest coach in NFL history will be laid to rest on Friday, May 8.
A funeral mass for Shula will take place with burial to follow. Both are private.
Shula passed away peacefully at this home Monday morning at the age of 90.
His family released a message Tuesday morning via the Miami Dolphins Twitter page that reads, "The Shula family thanks all those who have shared their sorrow over the passing of Our Coach. He was an inspiration to us all for his Faith, love of Family & Community. He is remembered as a great leader who shaped many lives by his example.
He left us Still Undefeated! The Shula Family."
A message from The Shula Family. pic.twitter.com/8oc1sBE3b1
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) May 5, 2020
The Miami Dolphins said in a statement following his passing, "Don Shula was the patriarch of the Miami Dolphins for 50 years. He brought the winning edge to our franchise and put the Dolphins and the city of Miami in the national sports scene."
Shula and quarterback Dan Marino were joined at the hip for so many years. That high flying offense of the 80's and 90's meant every Sunday was a must watch.
For Marino, the relationship went beyond the football field
"Coming to Miami, I was 21 years old. Just to watch him, how he handled the press, how he handled his business. Everything he did in the community, all those things, you admired as a young guy. He taught me all that," said Marino.
Shula is survived by his wife of more than 26 years, Mary Anne, and children Dave, Donna, Sharon, Anne and Mike. Dave and Mike followed their father into coaching, even becoming assistants on the Dolphins' staff.
GALLERY: A LOOK BACK AT THE LEGENDARY DON SHULA
Though he spent several seasons in the NFL as a player -- for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts and Washington Redskins -- and served as head coach of the Colts, he is best known for his quarter century at the helm of the Dolphins.
During his time coaching Miami, from 1970 to 1995, he won back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1970s.
The first of those, after the 1972 season, set a bar that has yet to be reached by any other team. With the Dolphins' 14-7 win over the Redskins in Super Bowl VII, Shula's squad became the first and only team to go undefeated in a season.
The Dolphins defended their title the following year, beating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII after finishing the regular season 12-2.
Shula coached in six Super Bowls during his career. In addition to his two wins, his Colts lost Super Bowl III, while his Dolphins teams came up short in Super Bowls VI, XVII and XIX.
His 347 career wins remain tops in the NFL. The Chicago Bears' George Halas and the New England Patriots' Bill Belichik are the only other members of the 300-win club.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted Shula in 1997.
The Dolphins honored him with a bronze statue outside Hard Rock Stadium.
It features the legendary coach, fist aloft, being carried off the field by Dolphins players Nick Buoniconti and Al Jenkins after Super Bowl VII in Los Angeles. John Carroll's stadium in University Heights, Ohio, and SR 874 in Miami also bear his name.
Shula had five kids with is first wife, Dorothy, who died from breast cancer in 1991 at 57 years old. Shula established an eponymous foundation for breast cancer research that same year.
Shula jumped into business after retiring, with steakhouses, a hotel and a golf club among his portfolio.