Countdown to Canton: Broncos Who Belong in Hall of Fame: Dan Reeves | No. 9
Selecting coaches over players for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame seems like a misappropriation of the few slots available for entry into Canton. The players have and always will be what makes the NFL great.
They leave their blood, sweat and at times body parts on the field while coaches are safe on the sidelines. That being said, there are some coaches that have achieved a level of excellence high enough to deserve being in those hallowed halls.
One of those coaches is former Denver Broncos headman Dan Reeves.
As a coach, Reeves has been to a total of seven Super Bowls, winning one as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys. As a head coach, he has taken two different teams to the Super Bowl — the Denver Broncos (three appearances) and the Atlanta Falcons (one).
During his stint with the Broncos, the team Reeves had the longest tenure with, he guided his team to three Super Bowls in a four-year period. He won the Coach of the Year award twice and stands in 10th place all-time for the most victories as a head coach.
Reeves dedicated 38 years of his life to the NFL and did so at a high level. These are remarkable credentials.
There are definitely those who are unwilling to say he deserves induction into Canton and emphasize the four Super Bowl losses as a head coach. Many coaches never even sniff the big dance let alone get a team to four.
Reeves' ability to get to the Super Bowl is incredible. He has made a total of nine trips in his career as a coach and player. He would enter the Hall as a coach, but his entire body of work should be taken into account.
Another point to make is that Reeves has tallied more victories than Bill Parcells, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013. Parcells is credited with turning around losing franchises as one of his claims to fame.
Reeves also can make a stake to that claim. He took over a New York Giants team that was 6-10 the previous season and the very next season took them to the playoffs with an 11-5 record.
Upon taking over the Falcons, a notoriously horrible franchise with losing seasons stacked upon losing seasons, Reeves was saddled with a team that was 3-13 the season prior. Within two years, he had them in the Super Bowl.
In addition to his success in wins and losses, Reeves was masterful at putting together a team of coaches who could help develop his winning strategy. Many of the coaches that he assembled went on to future success in the NFL, one being Mike Shanahan, another Hall of Fame candidate.
Reeves has earned the right to be in Canton.
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