Former Atlanta Falcons Coach Makes Hall of Fame Cut

The Dirty Birds were born in 1998 as the Atlanta Falcons went 14-2 en route to their first Super Bowl appearance. Dan Reeves was the head coach of team.

Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Reeves has made the most recent Hall of Fame cut. / RVR Photos-Imagn Images

The 1998 “Dirty Birds” won the first of two Atlanta Falcons NFC Championships, led by legends the likes of Jamal Anderson, Jessie Tuggle, Chuck Smith, and others, but maybe none greater than 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist head coach Dan Reeves. 

The Hall of Fame committee made their cuts from 14 Coach candidates down to 9 Thursday, with 2x AP NFL Coach of the Year Reeves having been a shoo-in to make it “to the weekend.”

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Who else still has a shot? 

• Giants Super Bowl HC Tom Coughlin
• Packers Super Bowl HC Mike Holmgren
• Broncos Super Bowl HC Mike Shanahan
• ‘72 Dolphins DC Bill Arnsparger
• 3x AP NFL HC of the Year Chuck Knox
• Forward Pass founder Clark Shaughnessy
• 49ers Super Bowl HC George Seifert
• NFL Coach of the Year Marty Schottenheimer

Why is Reeves, a Rome, Ga. native, such a slam dunk? 

• Reeves’ nine Super Bowl appearances are third-most in NFL history only behind Tom Brady (10) and Bill Belichick (12). 
• Reeves compiled 23 seasons as an NFL Head Coach with the Denver Broncos (1982-1992), New York Giants (1993-96), & ultimately the Atlanta Falcons (1997-2003). 
• Of those 23 seasons, it’s not like he was just happy to be there either. Reeves had an overall coaching record of 210-176-2 with four conference championships (Denver in ‘86, Denver in ‘87, Denver in ‘89, Falcons in ‘98).

Not to be annoying, but it really doesn’t stop there. As stated earlier, Reeves is third in Super Bowl appearances (9):

• Player (2) *8 seasons in Dallas
• Offensive Coordinator (3)
• Head Coach (4)

Reeves ended his 38 years in the NFL with two Cowboys Super Bowl Rings: Super Bowl VI as a running back and XII as an Offensive Coordinator. He took the ‘98 Falcons to their first Super Bowl after recovering from quadruple-bypass heart surgery. Reeves proceeded to live another 24 years, passing away at his Atlanta home on January 1st, 2022.

How does Reeves’s chances fair in my opinion? Mike Shanahan is the competition for the sole spot in 2025. Both will deservedly wind up in Canton in due time, one gets the nod this year. In a “flip a coin” scenario, let Shanahan walk across the stage. 

When do we know who? The committee meets Nov. 19 to pick one finalist for the final selection for possible election with the new class of players/enshrinees. The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 will be announced at “NFL Honors” in New Orleans in February and enshrined in August in Canton, Ohio.

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