Tom Landry

The name Tom Landry is often symbolic with NFL coaching legacy.
 
After playing defensive back during his NFL playing career and amassing 32 interceptions in 80 games, tom Landry became a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants in 1956. Ironically enough, Landry was opposite fellow coaching legend Vince Lombardi, who was the Giants’ offensive coordinator.
 
While serving as the Giants’ defensive coordinator, Tom Landry invented the now popular 4-3 defense. The defensive front features four down lineman (two defensive ends and two defensive tackles), three linebackers (two left and right outside linebackers and one middle) and four defensive backs (two cornerbacks and two safeties).
 
Tom Landry was also the first coach to analyze tendencies and determine what the opposing offense was trying to do before the snap. Landry’s “Flex Defense” was designed to align defenders in the right position to counter what the offense was trying to accomplish. It was the first time any coach built a system that was designed to be flexible based off of countering the opposing team’s offense.

In 1960, Tom Landry became the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Even though history would prove Landry was a coaching genius and legend, things didn’t go very well during his first five seasons. The Cowboys started off 0-11-1 during Landry’s first year, and never amassed more than five wins in each of the next four seasons.

Despite the horrible start to his career, Landry was given a ten-year extension by then Dallas Cowboys’ owner Clint Murchison. It was a risk on the part of Murchison, but one that would eventually pay huge dividends.

The Cowboys won seven games in 1965 and then were one of the NFL’s biggest surprises in 1966, posting 10 wins and making it the championship game. Even though Landry’s Cowboys lost to Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers, the season marked many great things to come.

Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys went on to have 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966 to 1985. That marvelous feat is still an NFL record and is also one of the longest winning streaks in professional sports.

Landry amassed a 270-178-6 record over the 20 consecutive winning seasons, which is the third most wins for a head coach. The Dallas Cowboys went on to win 13 Divisional titles, five NFC championships and two Super Bowls (1972, 1978). Landry’s 20 career playoff wins are the most of any head coach in NFL history.

For all his accomplishments, Tom Landry won several awards, including AP Coach of the Year and Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1966.

Simply put, Tom Landry was an innovator and a true coaching legend.