ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 5, 1996 TAG: 9601050072
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MIAMI
SOURCE: From New York Times and Knight-Ridder/Tribune Services
WITH HIS 17-0 SEASON a distant memory, Don Shula is leaving football after a tumultuous season with the Miami Dolphins.
Don Shula, the National Football League's winningest coach, will resign today after 26 years as coach of the Miami Dolphins.
``After some long and difficult thinking, I've decided that I will not be involved as the coach of the Dolphins next season,'' said Shula, who will hold a news conference today at 4 p.m.
Shula, who turned 66 the day the news broke and spent 33 years as an NFL head coach, indicated that he would remain with the organization, but didn't define what his new responsibilities would be.
``It has been a different birthday,'' said Shula, who played golf and attended a party in his honor Thursday night. ``I'll be talking more at the press conference about what my new responsibilities within the organization will be.''
Shula met with Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga on Wednesday evening for 21/2 hours to discuss the situation after Shula endured perhaps the most tumultuous season in team history.
``This is one of the saddest days this area has had in its history,'' said Jimmy Cefalo, a former wide receiver who played for Shula from 1978-84. Cefalo is host of Shula's weekly television show and is a sportscaster for WPLG-TV in Miami.
Speculation now turns to Shula's successor, although it is almost a foregone conclusion that former Dallas and University of Miami coach Jimmy Johnson will take over. Johnson led the Cowboys to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1992 and 1993 and led Miami to a title in 1987.
``I have no comment,'' Johnson said. ``I've had no contact [with Huizenga] and I have no comment.''
As for Shula, it was a slow and precipitous drop for the only coach in league history to lead a team through an undefeated season and the first to lead a team to three consecutive Super Bowls. He compiled a record of 347-173-6 and broke former Chicago Bears coach George Halas' record for victories in 1993. He led teams to six Super Bowl appearances, including one with the Baltimore Colts in 1968.
He also was praised widely for adapting to different styles. He led the Dolphins to Super Bowl titles in the 1970s with a running game led by Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick, going undefeated in the 1972 season. Beginning in 1983, he and quarterback Dan Marino teamed to create one of the most productive passing attacks in NFL history, Marino breaking all of the major passing records this season.
But since winning the second of back-to-back titles in 1973, Shula has gone 22 years without winning a championship. That skein ties him for the longest drought in NFL history with Chuck Knox. It is also the second-longest drought in professional football, baseball, basketball or hockey, behind only former baseball manager Gene Mauch.
Shula had high expectations for the Dolphins this season, and many had predicted that they would represent the American Football Conference in Super Bowl XXX.
The Dolphins spent $18 million on restricted and unrestricted free agents, compiling a team that featured 19 first-round draft picks. After starting the season 4-0, though, the wheels fell off, and they staggered into the playoffs with a 9-7 record - qualifying for the postseason on the last day of the regular season. Last Saturday, they suffered a humiliating 37-22 loss to the Buffalo Bills in a wild-card game.
As word of Shula's retirement filtered to the Miami players, there seemed to be a sense of disbelief, inasmuch as the coach had made it clear to them that he would be back.
``This is not a good day for me,'' linebacker Bryan Cox said. ``When you lose somebody that has been very supportive, it is very hard. Not enough guys cared enough this season about helping us win, and that's a crying shame.''
``I went walking with him yesterday, and he was talking about next season, things he wanted to do,'' said Stu Weinstein, the Dolphins' security director. ``He indicated nothing about retiring.''
Shula, in fact, made at least several calls this week to general managers around the league, inquiring about personnel, according to Joe Rose, another ex-Dolphin.
According to a person familiar with the Dolphins, Shula's about-face may have involved his reluctance to dismiss at least one of his top lieutenants, defensive coordinator Tom Olivadotti and offensive coordinator Gary Stevens.
``Everything I know about Don Shula says, `I don't scapegoat people,''' Cefalo said. ``I don't think he has the ability to throw Tom Olivadotti and Gary Stevens to the wolves.''
The news didn't quite surprise the embattled Olivadotti, who said he hadn't spoken to Shula on Thursday.
``He went through a lot this season,'' Olivadotti said. ``We all went through a lot. But Don has a lot of competitive spirit left. He hasn't lost his enthusiasm.''
Shula coached six teams to the Super Bowl, more than any other coach, and his teams reached the playoffs in four different decades.
But because the Dolphins last reached the title game in 1984 and went more than 20 years without winning it, Shula has received increasing criticism in recent seasons from fans and the media.
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1- Shulaby CNBAP 2- Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula is carried off the field by his
players after his NFL-record 325th victory in Philadelphia on Nov.
14, 1993.
AP 3- Don Shula hoists the Super Bowl trophy after his Dolphins
capped a perfect season by winning the NFL title in 1973.
AP