Dan Reeves, who led the Giants to the playoffs and participated in nine Super Bowls as a player and coach — the third most in NFL history — died Saturday from complications of dementia at his home in Atlanta.
Reeves, 77, died “peacefully and surrounded by his loving family,” according to a statement released by Aaron Salkin, a former Giants and Falcons media relations director. Reeves’ wife of 56 years, Pam, reportedly was by his side.
Reeves is the third former Giants head coach to die in the past 13 months. Reeves’ successor, Jim Fassel, died in June, and Ray Perkins, the team’s coach from 1979-82, died in December 2020.
“Dan Reeves had a legendary NFL career as both a player and a coach,” Giants co-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. He was one of the finest men I have ever been around in this business.”
A football lifer, Reeves spent eight seasons, from 1965-72, as a running back with the Cowboys. After going undrafted out of South Carolina, he led the NFL in total touchdowns rushing and receiving in 1966 and was part of the Cowboys’ team that won Super Bowl VI in 1972.
Reeves, who suffered a serious knee injury in 1968 that hampered the rest of his playing career, spent his final seasons as a player-coach for Dallas under head coach Tom Landry. He became a full-time Cowboys assistant coach upon the end of his playing career and eventually was named Dallas’ offensive coordinator, helping them to a victory in Super Bowl XII over Denver.
He was hired as the Broncos’ head coach in 1981, his first of 23 consecutive seasons leading an NFL franchise. He guided Denver to three Super Bowl appearances — including a 39-20 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XXI, which followed the 1986 season — and the Falcons to one, though he never won the title as head coach.
After 12 seasons and six playoff berths with Denver, Reeves was fired and quickly picked up by the Giants in 1993. Taking over a team reeling from Ray Handley’s 14-18 reign, Reeves won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award in his first season. The Giants went 11-5 and won a wild-card game over the Vikings, but were drilled by the 49ers, 44-3, in the divisional round.
“He was a great coach, great man,” former running back Rodney Hampton said in a statement through the Giants. “He’s going to be truly missed. … He was a teacher, too. He taught us how to be men. When I first got there, we used to always stay at hotels [the night before home games]. He told us, ‘You’re grown men, you should know what to do to take care of yourself.’ So when he got there, we stayed at our own place, our own house.”
After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, Reeves was fired following the 1996 campaign, finishing 31-33 with the Giants.
He immediately latched on with his hometown Falcons, whom he guided to their first Super Bowl appearance following the 1998 season, but his old pals from Denver thwarted his final chance at a ring as a head coach, beating Atlanta in Super Bowl XXXIII. Reeves was let go after a 3-10 start in 2003.
With a regular-season record of 190-165-2 as a head coach, Reeves recorded the 10th most wins in NFL history.
“His legacy will continue through his many friends, players and fans as well as the rest of the NFL community,” his family said.
