Dan Reeves, who won a Super Bowl title with the Dallas Cowboys and made four Super Bowl appearances as a head coach, died at age 77 on Saturday. Per the Associated Press, Reeves died of complications from dementia but passed away "peacefully and surrounded by his loving family at his home in Atlanta."
Reeves spent eight years as a player in the NFL, all for the Cowboys, rushing for 1,990 yards and 25 touchdowns while also catching 129 passes for 1,693 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was part of the Cowboys' first Super Bowl winning team in 1971, as Dallas defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. After his playing career, Reeves moved up the coaching ranks in the Cowboys' organization. A protege of Tom Landry, Reeves was the offensive coordinator for the Cowboys when they defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII in the 1977 season, spending four years in that role before earning his first head coaching job with the Broncos in 1981.
Reeves spent 23 seasons as a head coach with the Broncos, New York Giants, and Atlanta Falcons. He built the Broncos around John Elway and led them to three AFC championships in four seasons, only to lose in the Super Bowl each time. Reeves went 110-73-1 in his 12 seasons with the Broncos before the team parted ways due to a complex relationship between he and Elway. Reeves went on to coach the Giants for four seasons, going 31-33 in New York before being fired at the conclusion of the 1996 season.
Hired by the Falcons in 1997, Reeves took Atlanta to the Super Bowl in just his second season -- helping the Falcons capture their first NFC championship before losing Super Bowl XXXIII to Elway and the Broncos. Reeves went 49-59-1 in his seven seasons there before his departure prior to the conclusion of the 2003 season.
Reeves finished 190-165-2 in his 23 seasons as a head coach, and his 190 wins are the 10th most in NFL history. He won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award twice (1993, 1998), was the third head coach to take three different teams to the playoffs, and was just one of seven head coaches to take two different franchises to the Super Bowl.
"Dan Reeves leaves a lasting legacy in our game as a player and coach. His track record of success in Dallas, Denver, New York and Atlanta over several decades speaks for itself, marking a long and successful life and career in football," said Falcons owner and chairman Arthur Blank in a statement released by the team. "On behalf of the Atlanta Falcons I extend our condolences to Dan's family and friends as they mourn his passing."
