George Wilson (American football coach)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | February 3, 1914 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died: | November 23, 1978 (aged 64) Chicago, Illinois |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Northwestern |
| Position: | End |
| Undrafted: | 1937 |
| Career history | |
| As a player: | |
| As a coach: | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Career: | 68–84–8 (.450) |
| Record at Pro Football Reference | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
George William Wilson (February 3, 1914 – November 23, 1978) was a professional football end and later a coach for the National Football League's Detroit Lions and the American Football League's Miami Dolphins. He also played one season of professional basketball for the Chicago Bruins in 1939–40.[1]
Football
Playing career
He attended Northwestern University and played professionally for the Chicago Bears from 1937 to 1946, winning four NFL Championships as a player.
Coaching career
In 1957, he became the head coach of the Detroit Lions and, in that same season, won the NFL Championship over the Cleveland Browns, 59–14. Wilson was the first recipient of the NFL Coach of the Year Award. As of 2015, it is the last NFL championship won by the Lions. He was replaced following the 1964 season and spent one year as an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins before being named the first ever head coach of an American Football League expansion franchise, the Miami Dolphins, in 1966.[2] After four losing seasons in Miami, he was replaced with former Baltimore Colts coach Don Shula after the 1969–70 season.
In 1980, Wilson was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.[3]
Wilson's career record was 68–84–8 as head coach, with 2–0 record in the postseason. He is 65th in all-time wins by an NFL coach.
Head coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| DET | 1957 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 1st in Western Conference | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won Western Conference Playoff over San Francisco 49ers Won NFL Championship to Cleveland Browns |
| DET | 1958 | 4 | 7 | 1 | .364 | 5th in National Conference | - | - | - | - |
| DET | 1959 | 3 | 8 | 1 | .273 | 5th in National Conference | - | - | - | - |
| DET | 1960 | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | Tied for 2nd in National Conference | - | - | - | - |
| DET | 1961 | 8 | 5 | 1 | .615 | 2nd in National Conference | - | - | - | - |
| DET | 1962 | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 2nd in National Conference | - | - | - | - |
| DET | 1963 | 5 | 8 | 1 | .385 | Tied for 4th in National Conference | - | - | - | - |
| DET | 1964 | 7 | 5 | 2 | .583 | 4th in National Conference | - | - | - | - |
| DET Total | 53 | 45 | 6 | .541 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | - | ||
| MIA | 1966 | 3 | 11 | 0 | .214 | 5th in Eastern Division | - | - | - | - |
| MIA | 1967 | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 4th in Eastern Division | - | - | - | - |
| MIA | 1968 | 5 | 8 | 1 | .385 | 3rd in Eastern Division | - | - | - | - |
| MIA | 1969 | 3 | 10 | 1 | .231 | 5th in Eastern Division | - | - | - | - |
| MIA Total | 15 | 39 | 2 | .278 | - | - | - | - | ||
| Total | 68 | 84 | 8 | .450 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 1 NFL title in 12 seasons | ||
Basketball
Playing career
A 6'1" forward, Wilson played in the National Basketball League (a forerunner to the NBA) during the 1939–40 season. He averaged 1.1 points per game in 16 games for the Chicago Bruins.[1]
Film career
Wilson appeared as himself in Paper Lion, a 1968 sports comedy film starring Alan Alda as writer George Plimpton, based on Plimpton's 1966 nonfiction book of the same title, depicting his tryout with the Detroit Lions. The movie premiered in Detroit on October 2, 1968 and was released nationwide the week of October 14, 1968.
References
- ^ a b "George Wilson NBL stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ^ "Historical Highlights (1965-69)". Miami Dolphins. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
- ^ MICHIGAN SPORTS HALL OF FAME
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- 1914 births
- 1978 deaths
- American football wide receivers
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball players from Illinois
- Basketball players from Wisconsin
- Chicago Bears players
- Chicago Bruins players
- Detroit Lions coaches
- Forwards (basketball)
- Miami Dolphins coaches
- Northwestern Wildcats football players
- Northwestern Wildcats men's basketball players
- People from Waukesha County, Wisconsin
- Players of American football from Illinois
- Players of American football from Wisconsin
- Sportspeople from Chicago
- American football coach stubs
- American football wide receiver, pre-1940 birth stubs
- American basketball biography, 1910s birth stubs