New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (pictured) discussed legendary coach Don Shula's passing. Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Belichick releases statement on death of Don Shula

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 5/4/20

Bill Belichick is the one head coach with a legitimate chance to pass Don Shula as the winningest in NFL history, so news of the Miami Dolphins legend’s death on Monday likely resonated with Belichick more strongly than some others.

Not long after the Dolphins announced that Shula passed away at age 90, Belichick issued the following statement:

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 had 328 regular-season wins, which is an NFL record. Belichick has 273, so he would have to average about nine wins per season over the next six years to catch Shula. While that won’t be easy now that Tom Brady is out of the picture, it is certainly doable.

Shula was critical of Belichick over the years for the way the Patriots tended to bend the rules, but Belichick obviously respected the two-time Super Bowl champion for his contributions to the NFL and the game of football.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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