The 7 NFL head coaches traded since the 1970 merger
Don Shula, Baltimore Colts to Miami Dolphins
Just months after the AFL-NFL merger, a trade of a coach occurred in the newly formed league. This is a controversial entry because it wasn’t supposed to be a trade at all.
Following a Super Bowl III loss to the New York Jets, Shula agreed to become the new head coach of the Dolphins. However, the NFL found that the Dolphins and Shula had violated the league’s tampering rules and thus awarded the Colts Miami’s first-round pick in 1971.
During his time in Miami, Shula would go 257-133-2 with five AFC championships and two Super Bowl wins over 26 years.
When Don Shula retired from coaching #OTD in 1996, he had a career record of 347-173-6.
27 years later, he remains the winningest coach in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/LlurVrtM1b
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) January 5, 2023
