 Landry in January 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||
| No. 85, 49 | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Safety Punter | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | September 11, 1924 Mission, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Died: | February 12, 2000 (aged 75) Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Mission | ||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Texas (1946–1948) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1947 / round: 20 / pick: 184 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
| As a player: | |||||||||||||||||||
| As a coach: | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Career AAFC/NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||||||
| Regular season: | 250–162–6 (.605) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Postseason: | 20–16 (.556) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career: | 270–178–6 (.601) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Military career | |||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  United States | ||||||||||||||||||
| Service | .svg){kind=small} U.S. Army Air Corps | ||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1942–1945 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Rank |  Second Lieutenant | ||||||||||||||||||
| Unit | |||||||||||||||||||
| Battles / wars | |||||||||||||||||||
| Record at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||||||||||||
Thomas Wade Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was an American professional football coach, player, and World War II veteran. Regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time,[1] he was the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL), a position he held for 29 seasons. During his coaching career, he created many new formations and methods, such as the now default 4–3 defense that is used by a majority of teams in the NFL, and the "flex defense" system made famous by the "Doomsday Defense" squads he built during his tenure with the Cowboys. His 29 consecutive years from 1960 to 1988 as the coach of one team is an NFL record,[A] along with his 20 consecutive winning seasons, which is considered to be his most impressive professional accomplishment.
In addition to his record 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966 to 1985, Landry won two Super Bowl titles in Super Bowl VI and XII,[2] five NFC titles, and 13 divisional titles. He compiled a 270–178–6 record, the fourth-most wins all-time for an NFL coach, and his 20 career playoff victories are the third-most of any coach in NFL history. Landry was also named the NFL Coach of the Year in 1966 and the NFC Coach of the Year in 1975.
From 1966 to 1982, a span of 17 years, Dallas played in 12 NFL or NFC Championship games. Furthermore, the Cowboys appeared in 10 NFC Championship games in the 13-year span from 1970 to 1982. Leading the Cowboys to three Super Bowl appearances in four years between 1975 and 1978, and five in nine years between 1970 and 1978, along with being on television more than any other NFL team, resulted in the Cowboys receiving the label of "America's Team", a title Landry did not appreciate because he felt it would bring on extra motivation from the rest of the league to compete with the Cowboys. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 as a head coach.
- ^ "Bill Belichick vs Tom Landry: Sideline Comparison". NFL.com. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ^ Barron, By David (January 31, 2017). "Super coaches: Title winners Landry, Johnson, Kubiak share Texas ties". Houston Chronicle.
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