Marv Levy
Encyclopedia
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American
and Canadian football
coach, front office executive and author.
He is a former professional football
coach, in the CFL
as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes
(1973–1977), and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
(1978–1982) and the Buffalo Bills
(1986–1997), coaching the Bills to four consecutive American Football Conference
Championships. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2001.
, Quebec
, Canada
. His father, a decorated World War I
veteran, ran a small business on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois
, USA. He graduated from South Shore High School in Chicago
, in 1943. Following graduation, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces
and spent the remainder of World War II
in the military; Levy was discharged from the army shortly after the war ended. Though he was known to use historical examples to inspire his teams, Levy corrected those who used war and combat metaphors to describe football games by telling them that he actually fought in a war and that football and war were in no way comparable. Referring to the Super Bowl, he once said "This is not a must-win; World War II was a must-win".
in Iowa
. There he earned varsity letters in football, track, and basketball
. He obtained a degree in English literature
, was granted membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society
, and was twice voted student council president. He was also a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon
fraternity. He was admitted to Harvard University
for graduate studies in 1951, earning a masters degree in English history.
, coaching football and basketball. Two years later, Levy returned to Coe College
as an assistant football coach (1953–1954). In 1954, he joined the coaching staff at the University of New Mexico
and was named head coach in 1958. In two seasons as head coach, he guided the Lobos to a 14–6 record and earned Skyline Conference Coach of the Year honors both years. He interviewed with the University of California, Berkeley
on February 2, 1960, and was announced as the new head coach of the Cal Bears on February 5, 1960. Despite selecting a young Bill Walsh as a coaching assistant, Levy's best record during his four season tenure as head coach at Cal from 1960-1963 was 4-5-1. He finished his college-coaching career with a five-year stint as head coach at the College of William and Mary
where he twice earned Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors.
before joining George Allen's
staff as a special teams coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 1970. He followed Allen to Washington DC in 1971, where he served as the Washington Redskins
' special teams coach for two seasons. Levy then served as the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes
of the Canadian Football League
for five seasons. He coached Montreal to three CFL Grey Cup
appearances and two championships, and won the Annis Stukus Trophy
(Coach of the Year) in 1974
. Levy returned to the NFL in 1978 as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
. He coached the Chiefs for five seasons with steady improvement each year, but was fired at the end of the strike-shortened 1982 season with a 3–6 record.
Midway through the 1986 season, following a two-year hiatus from coaching and one season as the head coach of the Chicago Blitz
of the USFL
, Levy returned to the NFL as head coach of the Buffalo Bills
. He finished the season with a 2–5 record. In 1987, his first full season with the Bills, the team returned to respectability with a 7–8 record and were in the playoff hunt throughout most of the season. The following season the team posted a 12–4 record and won the first of six AFC Eastern Division titles. With his high-powered “no-huddle” offense (co-opted from Sam Wyche
's Cincinnati Bengals), Levy went on to lead his AFC championship team to four consecutive Super Bowl
appearances.
From 1988 through 1997, the Bills were first in the AFC in winning percentage and second only to the San Francisco 49ers
in the NFL. Levy, the winningest coach in Bills’ history, recorded a 112–70 regular season record and was 11–8 in the playoffs during his eleven seasons with the Bills. He was named NFL Coach of the Year
in 1988 and AFC Coach of the Year in 1988, 1993, and 1995.
is among the largest of any NFL head coach; however, this is largely due to the fact that he once had Bill Walsh as an assistant and most of Walsh's assistants never worked under Levy. Among notable non-Walsh coaches are former Dallas Cowboys
coach Wade Phillips
, former Baltimore Ravens
and Baltimore Colts
coach Ted Marchibroda
, and New York Sentinels
head coach Ted Cottrell
.
Outspoken pundit Chuck Dickerson
worked under Levy for several years in Buffalo before being fired.
in Canton
, Ohio
. Along with former Bills' special teamer Steve Tasker
, Levy did local broadcasts for the Bills' pre-season games until being appointed the Bills' general manager in 2006. During the regular season he was a part of the Chicago Bears pregame show on ESPN Radio 1000, as well as a Bears postgame show on Comcast SportsNet
.
and Vice President
of Football Operations for the Buffalo Bills. Following the resignation of Mike Mularkey
, there was initial speculation (created by Levy's own comments at a team press conference) that Levy would resume a coaching role with the team. To eliminate this speculation, and to minimize any future tension between Levy and the Bills' new head coach, team owner Wilson said: "To say it very, very succinctly, Marv Levy is our general manager. He will never be the coach."
Levy's first order of business was to hire a new coach as a replacement for Mularkey, who resigned within days of Levy's appointment. After a strenuous interview process Levy and team owner Wilson hired Detroit Lions interim head coach Dick Jauron
as coach. Jauron formerly was head coach of the Chicago Bears
and Detroit Lions
.
.
In 2009, Levy collaborated with Buffalo football historian Jeffrey Miller (Professional Football Researchers Association
) to write a book entitled Game Changers: The Greatest Plays in Buffalo Bills Football History. In August 2011, Levy published a second book, Between the Lies, featuring a team based loosely on the Bills (including a quarterback named "Kelly James") progressing to the Super Bowl against a Los Angeles-based team and its take-no-prisoners head coach, while a scandal erupts, placing the integrity of the game at risk. Levy has indicated he has future books planned, some of which may not involve football.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
coach, front office executive and author.
He is a former professional football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach, in the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
(1973–1977), and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
(1978–1982) and the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1986–1997), coaching the Bills to four consecutive American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Championships. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2001.
Early life
Levy's family emigrated from MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His father, a decorated World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veteran, ran a small business on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, USA. He graduated from South Shore High School in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, in 1943. Following graduation, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
and spent the remainder of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the military; Levy was discharged from the army shortly after the war ended. Though he was known to use historical examples to inspire his teams, Levy corrected those who used war and combat metaphors to describe football games by telling them that he actually fought in a war and that football and war were in no way comparable. Referring to the Super Bowl, he once said "This is not a must-win; World War II was a must-win".
College years
Levy enrolled at Coe CollegeCoe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. There he earned varsity letters in football, track, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. He obtained a degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, was granted membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
, and was twice voted student council president. He was also a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
fraternity. He was admitted to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
for graduate studies in 1951, earning a masters degree in English history.
College coaching
His first coaching job was at St. Louis Country Day SchoolMary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School
Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School or "MICDS" is a secular, co-educational, private school for about 1,200 students in grades Junior Kindergarten through 12, separated into three different sections: JK-4th grade , 5th-8th grade , and 9th-12th grade . Its 100 acre campus is located...
, coaching football and basketball. Two years later, Levy returned to Coe College
Coe College
Coe College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1851, the institution is historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Its current president is James R. Phifer. It is one of the smaller universities to have a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa...
as an assistant football coach (1953–1954). In 1954, he joined the coaching staff at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
and was named head coach in 1958. In two seasons as head coach, he guided the Lobos to a 14–6 record and earned Skyline Conference Coach of the Year honors both years. He interviewed with the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
on February 2, 1960, and was announced as the new head coach of the Cal Bears on February 5, 1960. Despite selecting a young Bill Walsh as a coaching assistant, Levy's best record during his four season tenure as head coach at Cal from 1960-1963 was 4-5-1. He finished his college-coaching career with a five-year stint as head coach at the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
where he twice earned Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors.
Professional football
Levy began his professional football coaching career in 1969 as kicking teams coach for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
before joining George Allen's
George Allen (football)
George Herbert Allen was an American football coach in the National Football League and the United States Football League. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.-Early life:...
staff as a special teams coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 1970. He followed Allen to Washington DC in 1971, where he served as the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
' special teams coach for two seasons. Levy then served as the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
for five seasons. He coached Montreal to three CFL Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
appearances and two championships, and won the Annis Stukus Trophy
Annis Stukus Trophy
The Annis Stukus Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, which is presented annually by the Edmonton Eskimos Alumni Association to the Coach of the Year, as determined by the members of the Football Reporters of Canada...
(Coach of the Year) in 1974
1974 CFL season
The 1974 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 21st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 17th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1974:...
. Levy returned to the NFL in 1978 as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. He coached the Chiefs for five seasons with steady improvement each year, but was fired at the end of the strike-shortened 1982 season with a 3–6 record.
Midway through the 1986 season, following a two-year hiatus from coaching and one season as the head coach of the Chicago Blitz
Chicago Blitz
The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :...
of the USFL
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
, Levy returned to the NFL as head coach of the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He finished the season with a 2–5 record. In 1987, his first full season with the Bills, the team returned to respectability with a 7–8 record and were in the playoff hunt throughout most of the season. The following season the team posted a 12–4 record and won the first of six AFC Eastern Division titles. With his high-powered “no-huddle” offense (co-opted from Sam Wyche
Sam Wyche
Samuel David "Sam" Wyche is a former American football player and head coach, who is best known as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL...
's Cincinnati Bengals), Levy went on to lead his AFC championship team to four consecutive Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
appearances.
From 1988 through 1997, the Bills were first in the AFC in winning percentage and second only to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the NFL. Levy, the winningest coach in Bills’ history, recorded a 112–70 regular season record and was 11–8 in the playoffs during his eleven seasons with the Bills. He was named NFL Coach of the Year
NFL Coach of the Year Award
The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the...
in 1988 and AFC Coach of the Year in 1988, 1993, and 1995.
Coaching tree
Levy's coaching treeCoaching tree
A coaching tree is similar to a family tree except it shows the relationships of coaches instead of family members. There are several different ways to define a relationship between two coaches...
is among the largest of any NFL head coach; however, this is largely due to the fact that he once had Bill Walsh as an assistant and most of Walsh's assistants never worked under Levy. Among notable non-Walsh coaches are former Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
coach Wade Phillips
Wade Phillips
Wade Allen Phillips is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
, former Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
and Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
coach Ted Marchibroda
Ted Marchibroda
Theodore "Ted" Joseph Marchibroda is a former American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League.-Player:...
, and New York Sentinels
New York Sentinels
The New York Sentinels and Hartford Colonials are a currently inactive professional American football team that played in the United Football League in its 2009 and 2010 seasons...
head coach Ted Cottrell
Ted Cottrell
Theodore John "Ted" Cottrell is the former head coach for the New York Sentinels of the United Football League...
.
Outspoken pundit Chuck Dickerson
Chuck Dickerson
Chuck Dickerson is a former position coach in the National Football League and Canadian Football League and sports radio host in Buffalo, New York. Currently, he is a regular featured commentator during the Buffalo Bills season....
worked under Levy for several years in Buffalo before being fired.
First retirement
Levy retired in 1997 and became an analyst for NFL.com. In 2001 Levy was elected to the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Along with former Bills' special teamer Steve Tasker
Steve Tasker
Steven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...
, Levy did local broadcasts for the Bills' pre-season games until being appointed the Bills' general manager in 2006. During the regular season he was a part of the Chicago Bears pregame show on ESPN Radio 1000, as well as a Bears postgame show on Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet
Comcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....
.
General manager
On January 5, 2006, Bills owner Ralph Wilson enlisted Levy, at the age of 80, to act as General ManagerGeneral manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
and Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of Football Operations for the Buffalo Bills. Following the resignation of Mike Mularkey
Mike Mularkey
Michael Rene Mularkey is an American professional football coach and a former college and professional football player. He played college football for the...
, there was initial speculation (created by Levy's own comments at a team press conference) that Levy would resume a coaching role with the team. To eliminate this speculation, and to minimize any future tension between Levy and the Bills' new head coach, team owner Wilson said: "To say it very, very succinctly, Marv Levy is our general manager. He will never be the coach."
Levy's first order of business was to hire a new coach as a replacement for Mularkey, who resigned within days of Levy's appointment. After a strenuous interview process Levy and team owner Wilson hired Detroit Lions interim head coach Dick Jauron
Dick Jauron
Richard Manuel Jauron is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and, on an interim basis, with the...
as coach. Jauron formerly was head coach of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Second retirement
Following the Bills' last game of the 2007 season, Levy decided to step down as GM of the Bills (his two year contract had expired). He has returned to live in his native Chicago, although he has also spent some time in Montreal mentoring Alouettes head coach Marc TrestmanMarc Trestman
Marc Trestman is the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.-Early life:Trestman is Jewish. He graduated in 1974 from Saint Louis Park High School in Minnesota. He played quarterback for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team for three seasons...
.
In 2009, Levy collaborated with Buffalo football historian Jeffrey Miller (Professional Football Researchers Association
Professional Football Researchers Association
The Professional Football Researchers Association is an organization of researchers whose mission is to preserve and, in some cases, reconstruct professional football history. It was founded on June 22, 1979 in Canton, Ohio by writer/historian Bob Carroll and six other football researchers and is...
) to write a book entitled Game Changers: The Greatest Plays in Buffalo Bills Football History. In August 2011, Levy published a second book, Between the Lies, featuring a team based loosely on the Bills (including a quarterback named "Kelly James") progressing to the Super Bowl against a Los Angeles-based team and its take-no-prisoners head coach, while a scandal erupts, placing the integrity of the game at risk. Levy has indicated he has future books planned, some of which may not involve football.
College
Professional
| Team | |Regular Season | 1973 1973 CFL season The 1973 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 20th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 16th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1973:... | 7 | 6 | 1 | .536 | 3rd in East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Ottawa Rough Riders Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a... in East Final. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTL 1974 Montreal Alouettes season The 1974 Montreal Alouettes finished the season in 1st place in the East Division with a 9–5–2 record and won the Grey Cup.-Preseason:-Standings:-Schedule:-Postseason:-Grey Cup:-External links:*... |
1974 1974 CFL season The 1974 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 21st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 17th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1974:... |
9 | 5 | 2 | .625 | 1st in East | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won over Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895... in 62nd Grey Cup 62nd Grey Cup The 62nd Grey Cup was played on November 24, 1974 before 32,454 fans at Empire Stadium at Vancouver. The Montreal Alouettes beat the Edmonton Eskimos 20 to 7 on rain slick field... . |
|
| MTL | 1975 1975 CFL season The 1975 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 22nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 18th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1975:... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in East | 2 | 1 | 0.667 | Lost to Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895... in 63rd Grey Cup 63rd Grey Cup The 63rd Grey Cup was played on November 23, 1975 before 32,454 fans at McMahon Stadium at Calgary. The Edmonton Eskimos won an extremely close game, decided on the last play, against the Montreal Alouettes by the score 9 to 8.-Box Score:... . |
|
| MTL | 1976 1976 CFL season The 1976 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 23rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 19th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1976:... |
7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 3rd in East | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | Lost to Hamilton Tiger-Cats Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium... in East Semi-Final. |
|
| MTL 1977 Montreal Alouettes season The 1977 Montreal Alouettes finished the season in 1st place in the East Division with a 11–5–0 record and won the Grey Cup. The Alouettes set CFL attendance records for the most attended regular season game with 69,093 fans attending the September 6 match-up with the Toronto Argonauts and for the... |
1977 1977 CFL season The 1977 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 24th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 20th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1977:... |
11 | 5 | 0 | .689 | 1st in East | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won over Edmonton Eskimos Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895... in 65th Grey Cup 65th Grey Cup The 65th Grey Cup, played on November 27, 1977 and also known as The Ice Bowl, was the 1977 Grey Cup Canadian Football League championship final between the Montreal Alouettes and the Edmonton Eskimos... . |
|
| CFL Total | 43 | 31 | 4 | .577 | 7 | 3 | .700 | Won two Grey Cup Grey Cup The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals... Championships. |
|||
| KC 1978 Kansas City Chiefs season The 1978 Kansas City Chiefs season began with the hiring of new head coach Marv Levy, formerly of the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes... |
1978 1978 NFL season The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference... |
4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 5th in AFC West | - | - | - | - | |
| KC 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season The 1979 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 7–9 record and fifth place finish in the AFC West. The Chiefs missed the playoffs due to the four other teams ahead of them in their division all finishing with winning records.... |
1979 1979 NFL season The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 5th in AFC West | - | - | - | - | |
| KC 1980 Kansas City Chiefs season The 1980 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with an 8–8 record, the team's first winning season since 1972, but no playoff berth.Beginning the new decade, the Chiefs selected guard Brad Budde, the son of Chiefs Hall of Fame guard Ed Budde, as the team's first-round draft choice, making the Buddes the... |
1980 1980 NFL season The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws... |
8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in AFC West | - | - | - | - | |
| KC 1981 Kansas City Chiefs season The 1981 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 9–7 record, but no playoff appearance.Bill Kenney began the 1981 season as the club's starting quarterback and directed the Chiefs to a 6–2 start, including a 37–33 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on Opening Day... |
1981 1981 NFL season The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3rd in AFC West | - | - | - | - | |
| KC 1982 Kansas City Chiefs season The 1982 Kansas City Chiefs season ended in a 3–6 record that resulted from the NFL Players Association strike that shortened the season.In May 1982, running back Joe Delaney underwent surgery to repair a detached retina in his eye, a radical procedure at the time... |
1982 1982 NFL season The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule... |
3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 4th in AFC West | - | - | - | - | |
| KC Total | 31 | 42 | 0 | .425 | - | - | - | ||||
| BUF 1986 Buffalo Bills season The 1986 Buffalo Bills season was the 27th season for the club and its 17th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Week 1: vs. New York Jets:-Standings:-References:* * *... |
1986 1986 NFL season The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:... |
2 | 5 | 0 | .286 | 4th in AFC East | - | - | - | - | |
| BUF 1987 Buffalo Bills season The 1987 Buffalo Bills season was the 28th season for the club and its 18th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Regular season:... |
1987 1987 NFL season The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players... |
7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | 4th in AFC East | - | - | - | - | |
| BUF 1988 Buffalo Bills season The 1988 Buffalo Bills season was the 29th season for the team and the 19th season in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished in first place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League's 1988 season with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses. The Bills were 8–0 at home for... |
1988 1988 NFL season The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division.... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... in AFC Championship NFL playoffs, 1988-89 The NFL playoffs following the 1988 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXIII.Due to Christmas, the two wild card playoff games were held in a span of three days.... . |
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| BUF 1989 Buffalo Bills season The 1989 Buffalo Bills season was the 30th season for the team and the 20th season in the National Football League. The Bills finished in first place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League's 1989 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses.... |
1989 1989 NFL season The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 1st in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... in Divisional Game NFL playoffs, 1989-90 The NFL playoffs following the 1989 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXIV.This was the last season in which the NFL used a 10-team playoff format. The league would expand the playoffs to 12 teams next season.... . |
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| BUF 1990 Buffalo Bills season The 1990 Buffalo Bills season was the 31st season for the team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1990 season with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, and finished first in the AFC East division. The Bills were 8–0 at home for the second time in... |
1990 1990 NFL season The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period... |
13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... in Super Bowl XXV Super Bowl XXV Super Bowl XXV was an American football game played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1990 regular season. The National Football Conference Champion New York Giants defeated the American Football Conference ... . |
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| BUF 1991 Buffalo Bills season The 1991 Buffalo Bills season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1991 season with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, and finished first in the AFC East division... |
1991 1991 NFL season The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills.... |
13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... in Super Bowl XXVI Super Bowl XXVI Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season... . |
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| BUF 1992 Buffalo Bills season The 1992 Buffalo Bills season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1992 season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses, and finished second in the AFC East division... |
1992 1992 NFL season The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that... |
11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in AFC East | 3 | 1 | .750 | Lost to Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... in Super Bowl XXVII Super Bowl XXVII Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion... . |
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| BUF 1993 Buffalo Bills season The 1993 Buffalo Bills season was the 34th season for the Buffalo, New York team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1993 season with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses, and finished first in the AFC East division. The Bills qualified for their... |
1993 1993 NFL season The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... in Super Bowl XXVIII Super Bowl XXVIII Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football... . |
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| BUF 1994 Buffalo Bills season The 1994 Buffalo Bills season was the 35th season for the team franchise and the 25th in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1994 season with a record of 7 wins and 9 losses, and finished fourth in the AFC East division. The Bills were 4–4 at home... |
1994 1994 NFL season The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season... |
7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th in AFC East | - | - | - | - | |
| BUF 1995 Buffalo Bills season The 1995 Buffalo Bills season was the 36th season for the club and its 26th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-AFC Wild Card Game:... |
1995 1995 NFL season The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in AFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... in Divisional Game NFL playoffs, 1995-96 The NFL playoffs following the 1995 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXX.-Bracket:-AFC: Buffalo Bills 37, Miami Dolphins 22:Although Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino completed 33 out of 64 passes for 422 yards, the Bills jumped to a 27-0 lead going into the fourth quarter, and rushed for an NFL... . |
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| BUF 1996 Buffalo Bills season The 1996 Buffalo Bills season was their 37th in the league. The team matched their previous season's output of 10–6. They qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:... |
1996 1996 NFL season The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... in Wild Card Game NFL playoffs, 1996-97 The NFL playoffs following the 1996 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXI. This post-season was remarkable in that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers each made it all the way to their respective conference championships, only two years after their inception into the league as expansion... . |
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| BUF 1997 Buffalo Bills season The 1997 Buffalo Bills season was their 38th in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 10–6, instead finishing 6–10. The team missed the playoffs for only the second time in ten seasons.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:... |
1997 1997 NFL season The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee... |
6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in AFC East | - | - | - | - | |
| BUF Total | 112 | 70 | 0 | .615 | 11 | 8 | .579 | ||||
| NFL Total | 143 | 112 | 0 | .561 | 11 | 8 | .579 | ||||
| Total | 186 | 143 | 4 | .565 | 18 | 11 | .621 | ||||
Career highlights
- The only NFL coach to coach teams that won four straight league or conference championships
- Won two of three CFL championships in five seasons while head coach of the Montreal Alouettes
- Guided the Bills to six division championships (including four consecutive from 1988–1991)
- Compiled a 17–6 record (14–6 in the regular season and 3–0 in the post-season) against the winningest coach in NFL history, Don ShulaDon ShulaDonald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
. He is the only coach to have a winning record against Shula. - Compiled 204 CFL-NFL-USFL coaching victories (7th on the all-time list)
- One of only 14 coaches to win 100 games with one NFL team
- The only coach to compete in four Super Bowls in a row and lose
- Retired at the age of 72; tied with George HalasGeorge HalasGeorge Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
as the oldest head coach in NFL history. - First USFL alumnus to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
See also
- List of select Jewish coaches