5 NFL players who became head coaches
It's a difficult task to transition from an NFL player to a head coach. There have been many former players who have become coordinators or positional coaches, but not many of them have been able to elevate themselves to head coaches. Here are five players in NFL history who were able to complete this rare accomplishment.
#1 - Mike Ditka
The most famous example of a former NFL player becoming a head coach is Mike Ditka. He spent the prime of his playing career with the Chicago Bears as a tight end, but also played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. With the Bears, he was selected to five Pro Bowls and two first-team All Pros on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
Success isn't permanent and failure isn't fatal. - Mike Ditka #quote https://t.co/QI9fdXCK94
After his playing career, Mike Ditka was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as an assistant coach to legendary head coach Tom Landry. Ditka was later hired by the Bears as their head coach and led them to a Super Bowl title. He also spent time as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, but he remains a Chicago Bears legend.
#2 - Art Shell
Art Shell is a Raiders legend. He played for them for 16 years as an offensive tackle, featuring in over 200 games on his way to the Hall of Fame. He was then hired to be the Raiders head coach where he found more success, achieving a 54-38 record across seven consecutive years.
🏴☠️🏈🎂
Happy Birthday to #Raiders OT/HC Art Shell, November 26, 1946.
Super Bowl XI & XV Champion, 1989 #PFHOF inductee,
8x Pro Bowler & 2x First-Team All-Pro.
* In 1989, he became the NFL's first black head coach since Fritz Pollard coached the Akron Pros in 1921. https://t.co/1rUzgs5nEj
Twelve years after his run ended as the head coach of the Raiders, Art Shell was hired for the same job again. The second spell didn't work out. Shell lasted just one season and had a 2-14 record.
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