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Former NFL player and head coach Dan Reeves passed away at the age of 77 due to complications from dementia. To the surprise of many, Reeves is not a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Dan Reeves' Dallas Cowboys tenure
Dan Reeves played eight seasons in the NFL (1965-1972), all with the Dallas Cowboys as a running back.
Reeves started 40 games for the Cowboys and racked up 1,990 yards on the ground with 25 rushing touchdowns. Also, the former South Carolina quarterback had 129 receptions, with 1,693 receiving yards and 17 touchdown receptions.
Dan Reeves’ first NFL head coaching job
After his NFL career ended in 1972, Reeves worked for the Cowboys as an offensive backfield coach for two years (1975-1976). In 1977, he found himself as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator under Hall of Fame head coach Tom Landry.
During Reeves' first year as the team’s offensive coordinator, Dallas won the Super Bowl over the Denver Broncos 27-10. In 1978, the Cowboys lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-31.
Reeves, in 1981, took his first head coaching job with the Denver Broncos after four years with the Cowboys as an offensive coordinator. In his 12 years on the sidelines for the Broncos (1981-1992), he compiled a record of 110-73-1.
His 110 wins are the second-most in franchise history behind Mike Shanahan (138). Reeves is tied with Shanahan with 13 playoff games coached in Denver and second in playoff wins (7) to Shanahan’s eight.
He led them to the playoffs in six of his 12 years, including three Super Bowl appearances (1986,1987, 1989). The Broncos lost all three of their appearances.
Dan Reeves with the Giants and Falcons
In 1993, he became the head coach for the New York Giants. Reeves went 31-33 in his four years (1993-1996), leading the Giants to the playoffs in 1993.
He took to the sidelines, once again, as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 1997 and was the team’s de facto general manager.
Reeves led the Falcons to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in 1998 versus his former team, the Broncos. Atlanta lost to Denver by a score of 34-19. After leaving the team after the 2003 season, Reeves had a record of 49-51-1. The 49 wins are second to former head coach Mike Smith (66).
Should Dan Reeves be in the Hall of Fame?
As a player (eight years) and head coach (23 years), Reeves spent 31 years of his life in the NFL. He has the 10th most wins as a head coach (190) and nine Super Bowl appearances as a player (1), assistant, (4) and head coach (4).
Reeves, at one point, held the NFL record for the most combined appearances by a player or coach, but that has been surpassed by head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. He was two-time Coach of the Year, in 1993 with the Giants and 1998 with the Falcons.
