During his long and successful career in the NFL as a player and coach, Dan Reeves appeared in nine Super Bowls.
After a hard run with the Dallas Cowboys who became the head coach for the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, Reeves has died at the age of 77.
Reeves' family issued a statement to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network:
"Great NFL player and coach Dan Reeves passed away early this morning, surrounded by his beloved family, at his home in Atlanta, GA. He passed away at the age of 77 due to complications from a long illness. His legacy remains with him." Will continue through many friends, players and fans as well as the rest of the NFL community. The arrangement is still to be determined."
Reeves is the only person to have appeared in multiple Super Bowls as both a player and a coach.
In eight seasons running for the Cowboys, Reeves went to two Super Bowls and was part of Dallas' Super Bowl VI-winning team in the 1971 season—his second-to-last as a player. He became an assistant coach with the Cowboys and was part of three Super Bowl trips and one win before moving on to a long and distinguished career as the head coach of the NFL.
He was recognized as the AP NFL Coach of the Year twice—in 1993 with the Giants and 1998 with the Falcons—but his days with the Broncos, alongside quarterback John Elway, stood as a hallmark of his career. .
In 12 seasons with the Broncos from 1981–1992, Reeves led him in three Super Bowl appearances. He would go on to coach the Giants from 1993–1996 before taking over the reins of the Falcons from 1993 to 2003.
One of the winningest coaches in NFL history, Coach Reeves set the foundation for the Broncos’ decade of dominance in the 1980s and championship tradition for years to come.
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 1, 2022
A statement from the Broncos on the passing of Dan Reeves: pic.twitter.com/gHcnqLqppq
In 23 seasons as head coach, Reeves finished his career with a 190–165–2 record in the regular season. He led his teams to nine postseason berths and was 11–9 in the playoffs.
A Georgia native, Reeves died three weeks before his 78th birthday.
He played college ball in South Carolina as a quarterback, but was left unfinished before joining Tom Landry's Cowboys in 1965. Dallas was leading 7–7 that season, but was the winner every season during Reeves' playing career. He ended his days on the field with a rush of 1,900 yards and 25 touchdowns in eight seasons—his best performance came in 1966, when the halfback tallied a team-high 757 yards and eight touchdowns. A versatile back whose career was eventually slowed by a knee injury, Reeves also had 129 receptions for 1,693 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The football world lost a heckuva coach and man today in Dan Reeves.
— John Elway (@johnelway) January 1, 2022
Dan was a winner and I owe a lot to him.
My heart goes out to Pam and the entire Reeves family. pic.twitter.com/d3cUk9ZWxT
Reeves, who began his coaching career as a Dallas backfield coach in 1975, was the Cowboys' offensive coordinator from 1977–1980 before becoming head coach of the Broncos in 1981, when he was only 37 years old. Under the Reeves umbrella, the Broncos became an AFC powerhouse in the 1980s. In his dozen seasons with the club, Reeves captained Denver to six playoff appearances, five division titles, and three Super Bowl runner-up finishes.
In 1993, Reeves took over as the head coach of the Giants and produced an 11–5 season in the first of four campaigns with the Big Blue.
"Dan Reeves had a great NFL career as both player and coach," Giants owner and president John Mara said in a statement. “He left an indelible mark on the league and all the people he played with, coached and worked with. He was one of the best people the business has ever seen. Our deepest condolences to Pam and the entire Reeves family. Is. "
His career ended in seven seasons leading the Falcons. Reeves piloted the 1998 "Dirty Bird" Falcons as the team finished the regular season 14–2 and went on to the franchise's first Super Bowl before losing to Reeves' old squad, the Broncos.
“Dan Reeves leaves a lasting legacy in our sport as a player and coach. His track record of success in Dallas, Denver, New York and Atlanta over several decades speaks for itself, with a long and successful life and career in football Marks it," Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. "On behalf of the Atlanta Falcons, I extend my condolences to Dan's family and friends as they mourn his passing."
A member of the Broncos Ring of Fame, Reeves learned as a player under Landry's tutelage and then as a coach with the Cowboys. He then helped create one of the most successful chapters in the history of the Broncos. He was a success with every franchise he was a part of, played with and coached innumerable Hall of Famers, and eventually left a lasting legacy in the NFL over nearly four decades.