Don McCafferty

Don McCafferty
Personal information
Born:	March 12, 1921; Cleveland, Ohio
Died:	July 28, 1974 (aged 53); Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:	Cleveland (OH) Rhodes
College:	Ohio State
Position:	End
NFL draft:	1943 / Round: 13 / Pick: 116
Career history
As a player:
	New York Giants (1946);
As a coach:
	Kent State (1948–1958); Assistant coach; Baltimore Colts (1959–1962); Assistant coach; Baltimore Colts (1963–1969); Offensive coordinator; Baltimore Colts (1970–1972); Head coach; Detroit Lions (1973); Head coach;
Head coaching record
Regular season:	28–17–2 (.617)
Postseason:	4–1 (.800)
Career:	32–18–2 (.635)
	Player stats at PFR
	Coaching stats at PFR

Donald William McCafferty (March 12, 1921 – July 28, 1974) was an American football player and coach who, in his first year as head coach of the Baltimore Colts, led the team to a victory in Super Bowl V, and became the first rookie head coach to win the Super Bowl.^[1]

College career

McCafferty played college football for Ohio State University under coach Paul Brown, where he was a key member of the offensive line. Due to World War II, he was one of a select group of players to play twice in the annual College All-Star Game held in Chicago.

Professional career

After moving on to the National Football League (NFL), McCafferty was shifted to wide receiver, playing one season with the New York Giants in 1946.

Coaching career

After working in the Cleveland, Ohio recreation department the following year, he was hired as an assistant at Kent State University in 1948. He spent 11 seasons with the Golden Flashes until accepting an assistant coaching position with the Baltimore Colts. During that first season at the professional level, McCafferty was part of the Colts' second straight championship team.

When Colts' head coach Weeb Ewbank was fired after the conclusion of the 1962 NFL season, McCafferty remained with the team as offensive coordinator under new coach Don Shula. McCafferty's easy-going personality helped serve as a buffer against the demanding Shula's quest for perfection, a contrast that played a major part in the team's three NFL playoff appearances during the next seven years. Colts' Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas once said about McCafferty, "He doesn't shout and scream. He's able to look at football objectively without getting carried away emotionally." He was referred to in the press and by the Colts players as "Easy Rider".^[2]

When Shula left to accept the head coaching position with the Miami Dolphins, McCafferty was chosen to replace him on April 6, 1970, then the following season led the Baltimore Colts to an 11–2–1 record and their second Super Bowl appearance in three years. In that mistake-filled contest against the Dallas Cowboys on January 17, 1971, the Colts won, 16–13, on a last-second field goal by rookie Jim O'Brien.^[3]

The Colts once again reached the playoffs in 1971, but were shut out, 21–0, in the AFC Championship game by Shula's Dolphins. The following year, after only one win in the team's first five games, the Colts' general manager, Joe Thomas, ordered Unitas benched as the team's quarterback. When McCafferty refused, he was fired.

On January 26, 1973, McCafferty was hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions and was 6–7–1 in his first year on the sidelines. On July 28, 1974, while spending some time at his nearby home in West Bloomfield, Michigan, he suffered a heart attack while cutting his grass. He died after being transported to a Pontiac hospital. He was buried three days later following services at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium, Maryland.

Head coaching record

Team	Year	Regular Season					Post Season
Team	Year	Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
BCO	1970	11	2	1	.821	1st in AFC East	3	0	1.000	Super Bowl V champions.
BCO	1971	10	4	0	.714	2nd in AFC East	1	1	1.000	Lost to the Miami Dolphins in AFC Conference Championship.
BCO	1972	1	4	0	.200	3rd in AFC East	–	–	–
BCO Total		22	10	1	.682		4	1	.800
DET	1973	6	7	1	.464	2nd in NFC Central	–	–	–
DET Total		6	7	1	.464		–	–	–
Total^[4]		28	17	2	.617		4	1	.800

References

^ "Mind-blowing stats for the Super Bowl". National Football League. January 29, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
^ Callahan, Tom (2006). Johnny U. New York: Crown. p. 219. ISBN 978-1-4000-8139-4.
^ "Super Bowl V - Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Colts - January 17th, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-06-07.
^ Don McCafferty Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks – Pro-Football-Reference.com

External links

Don McCafferty at Find a Grave

[1] "Mind-blowing stats for the Super Bowl". National Football League. January 29, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2014.

[2] Callahan, Tom (2006). Johnny U. New York: Crown. p. 219. ISBN 978-1-4000-8139-4.

[3] "Super Bowl V - Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Colts - January 17th, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2018-06-07.

[4] Don McCafferty Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks – Pro-Football-Reference.com

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v t e Baltimore Colts 1968 NFL champions
2 Timmy Brown 15 Earl Morrall 16 Jim Ward 19 Johnny Unitas 20 Jerry Logan 21 Rick Volk 25 Alex Hawkins 26 Preston Pearson 27 Ray Perkins 28 Jimmy Orr 32 Mike Curtis 34 Terry Cole 37 Ocie Austin 40 Bobby Boyd 41 Tom Matte 43 Lenny Lyles 45 Jerry Hill 47 Charlie Stukes 49 David Lee 50 Bill Curry 51 Bob Grant 52 Dick Szymanski 53 Dennis Gaubatz 55 Ron Porter 61 Cornelius Johnson 62 Glenn Ressler 64 Sid Williams 66 Don Shinnick 71 Dan Sullivan 72 Bob Vogel 73 Sam Ball 74 Billy Ray Smith Sr. 75 John Williams 76 Fred Miller 78 Bubba Smith 79 Lou Michaels 80 Gail Cogdill 81 Ordell Braase 84 Tom Mitchell 85 Roy Hilton 87 Willie Richardson 88 John Mackey
Head coach: Don Shula
Coaches: Bill Arnsparger Dick Bielski Don McCafferty Chuck Noll John Sandusky

v t e Baltimore Colts Super Bowl V champions
15 Earl Morrall 17 Sam Havrilak 19 Johnny Unitas 20 Jerry Logan 21 Rick Volk 25 Tom Curtis 27 Ray Perkins 28 Jimmy Orr 30 Ron Gardin 32 Mike Curtis 33 Eddie Hinton 34 Tom Nowatzke 35 Jim Duncan 36 Norm Bulaich 40 Jack Maitland 41 Tom Matte 42 Tom Maxwell 45 Jerry Hill 47 Charles Stukes 49 David Lee 50 Bill Curry 51 Bob Grant 52 Robbie Nichols 54 Tom Goode 56 Ray May 60 George Wright 61 Cornelius Johnson 62 Glenn Ressler 68 Dennis Nelson 71 Dan Sullivan 72 Bob Vogel 73 Sam Ball 74 Billy Ray Smith 75 John Williams 76 Fred Miller 78 Bubba Smith 79 Jim Bailey 80 Jim O'Brien 81 Billy Newsome 83 Ted Hendricks 84 Tom Mitchell 85 Roy Hilton 87 Roy Jefferson 88 John Mackey
Head coach: Don McCafferty
Coaches: Dick Bielski Bobby Boyd Hank Bullough John Idzik Lou Rymkus John Sandusky