New on Sports Illustrated: Hall of Fame Dolphins Coach Don Shula Dies at Age 90

The longtime Dolphins coach led the team to a perfect season in 1972.

Hall of Fame Dolphins coach Don Shula died Monday morning at his home at age 90, the team

confirmed. 

"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," the Dolphins said in a statement.

No additional details on Shula's death have been provided.

Shula is the winningest coach in NFL history and spent the majority of his career coaching the Dolphins. During his tenure, he led Miami to two Super Bowl championships and coached the only perfect season in league history. The 1972 Dolphins became the first and only team to have an undefeated season while going 17–0. The historic season ended in a 14–7 victory over Washington in Super Bowl VII.

Shula played in the NFL for seven years with the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts and Washington before moving on to coaching. He served as the Colts' head coach for seven years and led the team to an NFL championship victory in 1968. He took over in Miami in 1970 and stayed with the team for 26 seasons.

In 1993, Sports Illustrated named Shula Sportsman of the Year to celebrate his success in football that spanned four decades. Shula retired in January 1996 with a 328–156 record and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.