Tributes flow as Super Bowl champion Dan Reeves dies at 77

A matter of days after the death of John Madden, the NFL has lost another legendary Super Bowl winning coach and player.

Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves in Minneapolis Jan. 15, 1999. Photo: AP Photo/Jim/Mone

Dan Reeves, who led the Giants to the playoffs and participated in nine Super Bowls as a player and coach, died at his home in Atlanta after complications from a long illness, his family announced Saturday. Reeves was 77.

“Dan Reeves had a legendary NFL career as both a player and a coach,” Giants owner John Mara said in a statement. “He made an indelible mark on the League and all of the people he played with, coached and worked alongside.”

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A football lifer, Reeves spent eight seasons from 1965-72 as a running back with the Cowboys, leading the league in total touchdowns rushing and receiving in 1966 and winning Super Bowl VI in 1972.

Reeves then transitioned into coaching and earned another Super Bowl ring with the Cowboys in ’78 while serving as offensive co-ordinator under Tom Landry. He got his first head-coaching job with Denver in 1981 and in 12 seasons led the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances, though never a title.

The Giants hired Reeves in 1993, and he guided them to an 11-5 playoff season before falling to the 49ers in the divisional round. Reeves coached the Giants to two more losing seasons before being fired after the 1996 campaign.

Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves (L) prior to 17/01/99 NFC Championship game against Minnesota Vikings.

“He was one of the finest men I have ever been around in this business,” the statement continued. “Our deepest condolences to Pam and the entire Reeves family.”

He landed with his hometown Falcons in 1997, coaching the franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance following the 1998 campaign, where his former team, the Broncos, defeated them.

With a regular-season record of 190-165-2 as a head coach, Reeves recorded the 10th most wins in NFL history. He went 11-9 in the postseason.

Reeves was twice named the AP NFL Coach of the Year, once in 1993 with the Giants and again in ’98 with the Falcons.

“His legacy will continue through his many friends, players and fans as well as the rest of the NFL community,” his family said in a statement to NFL Network.

This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.

Originally published as Tributes flow as Super Bowl champion Dan Reeves dies at 77