Tom Landry
Coaching Record
| Years Coached | Record | Win % | Playoff record | Playoff win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 297-185-8 | 61.43% | 22-18 | 55.00% |
Coaching Tree
Parents:
Children:
Raymond Berry, Mike Ditka, John Mackovic, Dick Nolan, Dan Reeves, Gene Stallings
Biography
Career Summary
Tom Landry was a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1954 to 1988, finishing his career as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Over his thirty-five years of coaching his teams compiled a cumulative win/loss record of 297-185-8. He was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 until the 1988 season, during which time the Cowboys went 250-162-6. During his career he was a head coach for twenty-nine seasons. During his time leading the Cowboys the team won the Super Bowl in 1971 and 1977. He was fired from the Cowboys on Saturday, February 25, 1989. Landry was replaced by new owner Jerry Jones in Jones' first major decision leading the team. Despite Landry's legendary status with the team, 1988 represented the worst season since his first season as a head coach. The Cowboys had also gone seven seasons with out a playoff victory, the longest drought in his career.
Landry was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 after his coaching career.
Career Awards
Landry won the NFL's Coach of the Year award in 1966 after guiding the Cowboys to a 10-3-1 record and a a berth in the playoffs. As the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys he coached three players to award-winning seasons: Calvin Hill, AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1969; Harvey Martin, AP Defensive Player of the Year in 1977; Tony Dorsett, AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1977.
Tom Landry Coaching Tree
Before he was a head coach, Landry served as an assistant coach for Jim Lee Howell. He spent six years as an assistant coach to Jim Lee Howell, finishing as the defensive coordinator in 1959. During his time as head coach, six assistant coaches, (Dick Nolan, Raymond Berry, Dan Reeves, Gene Stallings, Mike Ditka, and John Mackovic) on his coaching staff were hired as head coaches across the league. His coaching tree has combined for a record of 478-454-8 in the regular season and 22-21 in the playoffs during their sixty-one seasons as head coach after serving on his coaching staffs. The coaching tree has won a single championship, in 1985 by the Chicago Bears, led by Mike Ditka.
Personal Information
Landry was born on Thursday, September 11, 1924 in Mission, Texas. He died on Saturday, February 12, 2000 at the age of 75.
History
| Year | Position | Record | Playoff record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 3-13-0 | 0-0 |
| 1987 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 7-8-0 | 0-0 |
| 1986 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 7-9-0 | 0-0 |
| 1985 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 10-6-0 | 0-1 |
| 1984 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 9-7-0 | 0-0 |
| 1983 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 12-4-0 | 0-1 |
| 1982 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 6-3-0 | 2-1 |
| 1981 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 12-4-0 | 1-1 |
| 1980 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 12-4-0 | 2-1 |
| 1979 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 11-5-0 | 0-1 |
| 1978 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 12-4-0 | 2-1 |
| 1977 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 12-2-0 | 3-0 |
| 1976 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 11-3-0 | 0-1 |
| 1975 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 10-4-0 | 2-1 |
| 1974 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 8-6-0 | 0-0 |
| 1973 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 10-4-0 | 1-1 |
| 1972 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 10-4-0 | 1-1 |
| 1971 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 11-3-0 | 3-0 |
| 1970 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 10-4-0 | 2-1 |
| 1969 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 11-2-1 | 0-1 |
| 1968 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 12-2-0 | 0-1 |
| 1967 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 9-5-0 | 1-1 |
| 1966 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 10-3-1 | 0-1 |
| 1965 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 7-7-0 | 0-0 |
| 1964 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 5-8-1 | 0-0 |
| 1963 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 4-10-0 | 0-0 |
| 1962 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 5-8-1 | 0-0 |
| 1961 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 4-9-1 | 0-0 |
| 1960 Dallas Cowboys | Head Coach | 0-11-1 | 0-0 |
| 1959 New York Giants | Defensive Coordinator | 10-2-0 | 0-1 |
| 1958 New York Giants | Defensive Coordinator | 9-3-0 | 1-1 |
| 1957 New York Giants | Defensive Coordinator | 7-5-0 | 0-0 |
| 1956 New York Giants | Defensive Coordinator | 8-3-1 | 1-0 |
| 1955 New York Giants | Defensive Coordinator | 6-5-1 | 0-0 |
| 1954 New York Giants | Defensive Coordinator | 7-5-0 | 0-0 |
Coach history guide
| Seasons with a championship win | Seasons with a conference championship |
Coach facts
- Years as head coach: 29
- Years as a coordinator: 6
- Championships won: 1956, 1971, and 1977
- Conference Championships won: 1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, and 1978
- Coach of the Year: 1966
- Led the league in wins: 1958, 1959, 1971, 1977, 1980
- First in total wins for the Dallas Cowboys.
- Third in winning percentage for the Dallas Cowboys.
- Fifth in total wins in NFL history.
- Most playoff wins in Dallas Cowboys history (20)
- Past teams coached for: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants
- College Attended: Texas Longhorns
- Date of Birth: Thursday, September 11, 1924 (75 years old), Mission, Texas
- Tom Landry revelutionized the "Pre-Shifting" on offense, where he would have the O-Line stand up while the backs moved into a new formation.
- Tom Landry was the first to employ specialty coaches and a film coach.