Former Denver Broncos head coach Dan Reeves has passed away at the age of 77.
Reeves' family released a statement through former Atlanta Falcons media relations director Aaron Salkin saying Reeves died from complications from dementia.
After an eight-years as a player with the Dallas Cowboys, Reeves began his coaching career with the Cowboys in 1975. He was on the Dallas staff for six years, the last four as offensive coordinator, before landing the Broncos head coaching job in 1981.
Reeves spent 12 years as the Broncos coach and led them to the Super Bowl after the 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons. The Broncos fell to the New York Giants (1986), the Washington Redskins (1987) and the San Francisco 49ers (1989).
In his time as the Broncos coach, his teams were 110-73-1. He is in the Broncos Ring of Fame.
Reeves went on to serve as the head coach of the New York Giants from 1993-1996 and the Atlanta Falcons from 1997-2003. His Falcons team lost to the Broncos, 34-19, in Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999.
In all, Reeves was an NFL head coach for 23 years and has a record of 190-165-2.
Former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe paid tribute to Reeves on Instagram.
Former Broncos Vice President of Public Relations Jim Saccomano shared some memories of Reeves on Twitter.
BRONCOS MOURN THE PASSING OF RING OF FAME HEAD COACH DAN REEVES
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Former Denver Broncos Head Coach Dan Reeves(1981-92), a member of the team’s Ring of Fame, died on Saturday. He was 77.
STATEMENT FROM THE DENVER BRONCOS:
“The Denver Broncos are deeply saddened by the loss of legendary Head Coach Dan Reeves, who passed away this morning at age 77 at home in Atlanta.
“One of the winningest coaches in NFL history, Coach Reeves set the foundation for the Broncos’ decade of dominance in the 1980s and championship tradition for years to come.
“A 2014 Broncos Ring of Fame inductee, Reeves led the Broncos as head coach from 1981-92 and was instrumental in the franchise becoming a perennial contender. With competitiveness, consistency and a style all his own, he guided the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances, five AFC West titles and six playoff berths.
“The only coach to lead an AFC team to three Super Bowls in the 1980s, Reeves captured the AFC Championship three times in a four-year period from 1986-89. He led Denver to appearances in Super Bowl XXI (1986 season), XXII (1987) and XXIV (1989), ushering in a new era of Broncos football on the national stage.
“Reeves coached the Broncos with integrity, character and toughness along with sincere appreciation for his players and coaches. His time with the Broncos was part of a remarkable 39-year career in professional football in which he appeared in the Super Bowl an astonishing nine times as a player or coach.
“Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to Dan’s wife and high school sweetheart, Pam; his children Dana, Lee and Laura; his grandchildren and great grandchildren; and the entire Reeves family.”
Reeves coached the Broncos from 1981-92 and compiled a 110-73-1 (.600) record in his 12 seasons while leading the team to a franchise-best five division titles (1984, ’86-87, ’89, ’91) and three Super Bowl appearances (1986-87, ’89). His 110 regular-season wins and seven playoff victories each rank second in Broncos history behind former Head Coach Mike Shanahan(138 reg. season/ 8 postseason).
Hired by the Broncos on March 10, 1981, Reeves made six postseason appearances with Denver and finished with a losing record on just two occasions—one of which was the strike-shortened 1982 season.
The pinnacle of Reeves’ coaching career with the Broncos came in the late 1980s when he led the Broncos to the Super Bowl three times in a four-year span (1986-87, ’89). Upon retirement, he became the first coach to be inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame when he was recognized for that honor in 2014.
Including his NFL tenure as a player with Dallas (1965-72) and coaching stops with the Cowboys (1972, ’74-80), New York Giants (1993-96) and Atlanta Falcons (1997-2003), Reeves’ nine Super Bowl appearances trail only Bill Belichick(12) and Tom Brady(10) among individuals in NFL history.
His most recent championship appearance was during the 1998 season when he led the Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII against the Broncos to become just the third head coach at the time to lead multiple teams to the Super Bowl.
In 23 NFL seasons as an NFL head coach, including his 12 years with Denver, Reeves posted a 190-165-2 (.535) regular-season record and an 11-9 (.550) postseason mark. His 190 regular-season wins and 201 overall victories each rank 10th in league history while his four Super Bowl appearances are tied for fourth in league annals among head coaches.
A quarterback at the University of South Carolina, Reeves signed with the Cowboys in 1965 and totaled 535 rushes for 1,990 yards (3.7 avg.) and 25 touchdowns as a running back during his eight-year professional playing career.