Legendary Dolphins Coach Advances Again In Hall of Fame Selection Process

The leader of the legendary No-Name Defense and the Killer B's draws ever closer to a Hall of Fame spot.

Jan 13, 1974; Houston, TX, USA; FILE PHOTO; Miami Dolphins linebacker Nick Buoniconti (85) talking with assistant coach Bill Arnsparger (white hat) and coach Don Shula (right) against the Minnesota Vikings during Super Bowl VIII at Rice Stadium. Miami defeated Minnesota 24-7. / Dick Raphael-Imagn Images

The best assistant coach in Miami Dolphins history has taken another step toward the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bill Arnsparger, the famed assistant coach who directed the Miami Dolphins' "No Name Defense" and the "Killer B's" with his innovative defensive strategies and helped the team win two Super Bowls, was named as one of nine semifinalists in the Coach category.

Members of the Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee made their selections from a list that initially contained 14 candidates. The committee will discuss the semifinalists at length when it meets virtually on November 19th to select one finalist for the entire Selection Committee to consider for possible election with the new class of enshrinees.

Along with Arnsparger, this year's semifinalists in the Coach category are Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan, and Clark Shaughnessy.

ARNSPARGER'S COACHING CAREER

Arnsparger started his coaching career in college at his alma mater, Miami University (Ohio), where he had played under legendary coach Woody Hayes. He later spent time under Hayes at Ohio State, followed by coaching tours at Kentucky and Tulane, before jumping to the NFL in 1964 with the Baltimore Colts under future Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Shula. There, Arnsparger coached the Colts' defensive line on teams that reached the 1964 NFL title game and Super Bowl III.

Arnsparger rejoined Shula as assistant coach of the Miami Dolphins, where he helped lead the Dolphins to a perfect season, the only such record in NFL history, and wins in Super Bowl VII and VII.

Following these stellar back-to-back seasons, Arnsparger would go on to serve as the head coach of the New York Giants before returning to the Dolphins and helping the team reach Super Bowl XVII.

After leaving the NFL for Louisiana State, Arnsparger went to Super Bowl XXIX as the defensive coordinator for the then-San Diego Chargers, retiring after the Super Bowl loss in 1995.