There was no love lost between Bill Belichick and Don Shula, but that didn’t prevent the New England Patriots head coach from respecting the Miami Dolphins legend.
Shula, the NFL’s all-time winningest coach, died Monday morning at 90 years old. Belichick reacted to the death of the Pro Football Hall of Famer in a statement shared by the Patriots.
“Don Shula is one of the all-time great coaching figures and the standard for consistency and leadership in the NFL,” Belichick said. “I was fortunate to grow up in Maryland as a fan of the Baltimore Colts who, under Coach Shula, were one of the outstanding teams of that era. My first connection to Coach Shula was through my father, whose friendship with Coach Shula went back to their days in northeast Ohio. I extend my deepest condolences to the Shula family and the Dolphins organization,”
Statement from #Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick on the passing of Don Shula: https://t.co/Qx6SzsGbsw pic.twitter.com/KSARlkda4Y
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) May 4, 2020
Shula was complimentary of Belichick throughout the early years of the Patriots dynasty. However, after the “Spygate” scandal broke in 2007, Shula and other members of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins criticized Belichick and the Patriots as they marched toward their own perfect regular season that ultimately ended with a loss in the Super Bowl.
“The Spygate thing has diminished what they’ve accomplished,” Shula said. “You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They’ve got it.”
The issue lay dormant until 2015 when Shula called Belichick “Beli-Cheat” two weeks before the infamous “Deflategate” game. After the scandal broke, Shula again fired a shot at the Patriots.
“We always tried to live by the rules and set an example that it was always done with a lot of class, a lot of dignity,’’ he said. “Always done the right way. We didn’t deflate any balls.”
Belichick never has fired back at Shula or members of the 1972 Dolphins in a public setting. How he really feels about the matter is anyone’s guess.
Shula’s 347 wins (including playoffs) are the most in NFL history. Chicago Bears legend George Halas (324 wins) and Belichick (304 wins) rank second and third, respectively.
