George Wilson (American football coach)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | |||||||
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||
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Weight: | 199 lb (90 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Chicago (IL) Austin Delafield (WI) St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy | ||||||
College: | Northwestern | ||||||
Undrafted: | 1937 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
As a player: | |||||||
As a coach: | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Head coaching record | |||||||
Regular season: | 68–84–8 (.450) | ||||||
Postseason: | 2–0 (1.000) | ||||||
Career: | 70–84–8 (.457) | ||||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
Coaching stats at PFR |
George William Wilson, Sr. (February 3, 1914 – November 23, 1978) was a professional
His coaching career began with the Bears in 1947, when he became an assistant coach to
After being fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Wilson retired from football and entered the construction and real estate business in South Florida. By 1978, he moved back to Michigan, where he died of a heart attack in Detroit on November 23, 1978.
Football
Playing career
He attended and played football at
During the 1943 season, Wilson recorded a career-high 293 yards receiving and 5 touchdowns.[2] In the 1943 NFL Championship Game, Wilson caught three passes for 29 yards in the club's 41–21 defeat of the Redskins.[4] He had similar regular season performances in 1944 and 1945. In the former, he caught 24 passes for 265 yards, including 4 touchdowns. In 1945, Wilson recorded a career-high 28 receptions, for 259 yards and 3 touchdowns. He retired as a player following the 1946 season, compiling an overall record of 111 pass receptions, 1,342 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns.[2]
Coaching career
Wilson began his coaching career with the Bears in
In his first year as head coach, Wilson guided Detroit to an 8–4 season and a 59–14 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the NFL championship game, still the most recent league title for the Lions.[9] For his efforts, Wilson was the first recipient of the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award.[10] In January 1958, he also served as the Western Conference head coach for the first nationally televised Pro Bowl, while Parker, then head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, led the Eastern Conference.[11] The Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference by a score of 26–7.[12]
In 1960, Wilson hired Don Shula as the defensive coordinator, who later succeeded him as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.[13] The Lions were 7–5 in 1960 and advanced to the first edition of the third-place Playoff Bowl,[9][14] where they defeated the Browns 17–16.[14] Detroit's record was slightly better in 1961 at 8–5–1,[9] went to the Playoff Bowl again, and soundly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38–10.[14] Despite finishing the 1962 season with 11 victories and 3 defeats – the best win–loss record during Wilson's tenure – they failed for the third consecutive season to edge the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Western Conference,[9] but won a third straight Playoff Bowl, this time 17–10 over the Steelers.[14]
Wilson remained with the Lions through 1964, though they were unable reach another NFL championship game after 1957.[9] He resigned on December 23, two days after his five assistant coaches were fired by ownership,[15][16][17] and was succeeded by former Lions player Harry Gilmer.[18] Upon his resignation from the Lions, Wilson had compiled a 53–45–6 (.538) record; only Wayne Fontes had more wins as head coach of Detroit.[9] He then served for one year as an assistant coach under Bill McPeak with the Washington Redskins in 1965.[19]
On January 29, 1966,[20] Joe Robbie named Wilson the first head coach of the American Football League's first expansion franchise, the Miami Dolphins.[21] The Dolphins finished their first season with a record of 3–11, tying the 1961 Minnesota Vikings and the 1966 Atlanta Falcons for the then-best record for an expansion team.[22] Of the four starting quarterbacks during the Dolphins' inaugural year, one was Wilson's son, George Wilson Jr., who led them to their first win, a 24–7 victory over the Denver Broncos.[23][24] However, after a poor season performance, he was traded to the Broncos, then soon released on July 15, 1967.[25]
Miami improved slightly in 1967 and 1968, going 4–10 and 5–8–1, respectively.[26] After the 1968 season, Wilson's three-year contract expired, leaving uncertainty if he would coach the team in 1969. Robbie stated "George has done a good job with players. That is his strong point. That doesn't mean he's weak in other aspects, but he handles players well."[27] Wilson was signed to a new one-year contract on December 18, 1968.[28] In February 1969, Wilson promised "continued improvement" for the team at a luncheon honoring the new draftees, while Miami mayor Stephen P. Clark presented him a plaque for "untiring efforts to bring Miami a championship football team."[29] However, the Dolphins regressed to 3–10–1, worst in the AFL; Wilson was fired two months later on February 18, 1970, and was succeeded by Baltimore Colts' head coach Shula.[30]
Although Wilson's record with Miami was an unimpressive 15–39–2 (.286),[30] several draft picks and trades during his tenure allowed the Dolphins to acquire players who were instrumental in the team's success in the early 1970s, including drafting Bob Griese and Larry Seiple in 1967, Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick in 1968, and Bill Stanfill and Mercury Morris in 1969, as well as trades for Nick Buoniconti and Larry Little in 1969 and Paul Warfield in 1970.[26][31]
Wilson's career record as a head coach was 68–84–8 (.450), and was 2–0 in the postseason.[32]
Initially, Wilson was critical over his removal as head coach and replacement with Shula. Following the 1970 and 1971 seasons, he attempted to repudiate the public perception that Shula built a strong team, stating that "As far as I'm concerned, he took over a ready-made team.", before adding "I was fired when the team was ready to go." In criticism directly aimed at Shula, Wilson remarked, "I also helped him get the Baltimore Colts head coaching job (in 1963). I practically wrote his contract for him. (Colts' owner) Carroll Rosenbloom wanted me to take the job and I had twelve meetings with him about it. But I got him to take Shula."[33] However, any tension between them faded after Wilson congratulated Shula following the Dolphins victory in Super Bowl VII and after he invited Shula for a round of golf at his newly purchased golf course in July 1973.[34]
In 1980, Wilson was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Among the other three inductees was Alex Karras, a former Lions player whom he coached.[35]
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 over 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"
Film career
Wilson appeared as himself in Paper Lion, a 1968 sports comedy film starring Alan Alda as writer George Plimpton,[38] based on Plimpton's 1966 nonfiction book of the same title, depicting his tryout with the Detroit Lions.[39] The movie premiered in Detroit on October 2, 1968, and was released nationwide the week of October 14, 1968.[40]
Personal life
He and his wife, Claire, had four daughters and one son, George Wilson Jr. After being fired from his coaching position at the Miami Dolphins, Wilson entered the construction and real estate industries and also operated a golf course near Miami. In 1978, Wilson moved back to Michigan and intended to eventually live in a house he built in Howell, but died before doing so. On November 23, 1978, Wilson Sr. suffered a heart attack and died at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit at the age of 64.[41]
References
- ^ "Lions Name Wilson New Head Coach". Chicago Tribune. (Illinois). Associated Press. August 14, 1957. p. 36. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c "George Wilson". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ^ "Championship – Chicago Bears at Washington Redskins – December 8th, 1940". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ^ "Championship – Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears – December 26th, 1943". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ^ "New Lions Coach". The Escanaba Daily Press. (Michigan). Associated Press. May 16, 1949. p. 14. Retrieved March 27, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Dave Diles (August 13, 1957). "Buddy stuns banquet gathering by announcing his resignation". Ludington Daily News. (Michigan). Associated Press. p. 6. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ Tex Maule (December 2, 1957). "Lambs into Lions". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Detroit Lions Franchise Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ "George Wilson Coach of Year in Pro-Loop". Greeley Daily Tribune. (Colorado). Associated Press. January 9, 1958. p. 8. Retrieved March 9, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Over 60,000 expected for Pro Bowl tilt". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Pennsylvania)). Associated Press. January 11, 1958. p. 12. Retrieved March 27, 2017 – via Google News.
- ^ "West tops East, 26–7, in Pro Bowl". Milwaukee Sentinel. (Wisconsin). Associated Press. January 13, 1958. p. 2. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ "A Don Shula Timeline". CNNSI.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Ryan Michael (February 4, 2009). "The Forgotten History of the Playoff Bowl and How It Could Work in the NFL Today". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ "Coach stays with Lions; aides fired". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 22, 1964. p. 11. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ "Wilson resigns as Detroit Lions' coach". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 24, 1964. p. 12.
- ^ "Wilson picks pride over $45,000 Lion job". Pittsburgh Press. (Pennsylvania). United Press International. December 24, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ "Harry 'The Hat' Gilmer New Detroit Lion Coach". Daily Freeman. (Kingston, New York). Associated Press. January 8, 1965. p. 17. Retrieved March 27, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "George Wilson Joins Washington Redskins". Emporia Gazette. (Kansas). Associated Press. January 26, 1965. p. 13. Retrieved April 4, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ISBN 978-1-62937-722-3.
- ^ "Historical Highlights (1965–69)". Miami Dolphins. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
- ^ Chuck Otterson (December 19, 1966). "2 Late Scores Lift Miami Over Oilers". The Palm Beach Post. (West Palm Beach, Florida). p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miami Must Settle Quarterback's Job". The Express. (Lock Haven, Pennsylvania). September 7, 1967. p. 33. Retrieved March 21, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Andrew Meacham (August 30, 2011). "George Wilson Jr. made Miami Dolphins history with first win". Tampa Bay Times. (St. Petersburg, Florida). Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
- ^ "George Wilson Cut By Denver". Danville Register & Bee. (Virginia). Associated Press. July 16, 1967. p. 4-D. Retrieved March 21, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Kevin Nogle (May 21, 2013). "Miami Dolphins Historical Perspective Part 2 – 1967 to 1969". SB Nation. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ^ Ed Plaisted (December 12, 1968). "Good Season For Dolphins". The Palm Beach Post. (West Palm Beach, Florida). p. 37. Retrieved March 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Ed Plaisted (December 19, 1968). "Dolphins' Wilson to Return". The Palm Beach Post. (West Palm Beach, Florida). p. D1. Retrieved March 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dolphins' Dreams, Draftees Discussed". The Palm Beach Post. (West Palm Beach, Florida). February 18, 1969. p. 16. Retrieved March 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Wilson Gets Ax". The Palm Beach Post. (West Palm Beach, Florida). United Press International. February 19, 1970. pp. C1. Retrieved March 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Historical Highlights (1970–79)". Miami Dolphins. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ "George Wilson Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^ "Ready-Made Team". The Palm Beach Post. (West Palm Beach, Florida). Associated Press. January 12, 1972. p. C1. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ex-Dolphin Coach 'Buries Hatchet'". The Palm Beach Post. (West Palm Beach, Florida). Associated Press. July 9, 1973. p. D3. Retrieved March 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "MSHOF Inductees". Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ "George Wilson". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
- ^ "George Wilson NBL stats". Basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ^ "Paper Lion". IMDb. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ Nara Schoenberg (September 27, 2003). "George Plimpton 1927–2003". Chicago Tribune. (Illinois). Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ Garry Valk (October 14, 1968). "Letter from the Publisher". Sports Illustrated. p. 4. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
- ^ "Former Miami Coach Wilson Dead at 64". The Palm Beach Post. (West Palm Beach, Florida). November 25, 1978. p. B6. Retrieved March 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.