Donald Francis “Don” Shula was born on the 4th January 1930, in Grand River, Ohio, USA of Hungarian descent. He is best known for being a retired professional American Football player, who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts, and Washington Redskins. He is also recognized for being the head coach of the Baltimore Colts, and Miami Dolphins. His professional career was active from 1951 to 1995.
Have you ever wondered how rich Don Shula is, as of mid 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that the overall size of Don’s net worth is $30 million, accumulated through his successful career in the sports industry not only as a professional NFL player, but also as a professional NFL head coach. Another source is coming from the books which he has co-authored. He is also the owner of a restaurant chain, which has also added to his net worth.
Don Shula Net Worth $30 Million
Don Shula was raised with six siblings by parents Dan and Mary Shula, immigrants from Hungary. When he was still a child, he began playing football in his neighborhood. He went to private elementary school at St. Mary’s, after which he attended Thomas W. Harvey in Painesville, where he played football for the school’s team. After matriculation in 1947, he received a scholarship at John Carroll University, a private Jesuit school in University Heights in Cleveland.
Don attended John Carroll University, after his scholarship was extended, thanks to his great performance in the freshman year. During his college days, Don made only one notable play, rushing for 125 yards, against Syracuse, which was favored to win the game. After he finished college education, he was drafted by the Cleveland Brown in the 1951 NFL Draft, as the 110th pick overall. He played only one season for the Browns, in which they reached finals, however, they lost to the Los Angeles Rams. He was then traded to the Baltimore Colts, for which he played until 1956, when he was waived by the team. After that he signed with the Washington Redskins, playing one season, before deciding to retire.
Soon after his playing career was over, he found engagement as the assistant coach at the University of Virginia, under head coach Dick Voris. He then moved between several universities, before becoming the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions of the NFL in 1960. He served in that position for two years, after which he was hired by the Baltimore Colts as their head coach, becoming the youngest coach in the history of the league, as he was only 33 years old. In his first season, he finished third with the winning record of 8-6, and in the second his team had a 12-2 record, eventually reaching the finals, but losing to the Cleveland Browns. He managed to win the NFL Championship with the Colts in 1968, defeating the Browns with a 34-0 result, but lost to the New York Jets in the Super Bowl.
He signed with the Miami Dolphins in 1970, when his contract expired, which only added further to his net worth. He subsequently spent 25 years with the Dolphins, winning two Super Bowls, in 1972 and 1973.
In his 32 years as a head coach, only two were losing seasons. During his career he received numerous prestigious awards, including six times NFL Coach Of The Year, and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of The Year in 1993. Don was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997, and was also inducted into the Miami Dolphins Ring of Fame.
After retirement, he started a restaurant chain – “Shula`s Steakhouse” – and he also owns a hotel located in Miami Lakes, which also adds to his net worth. Besides that, he is also the co-author of three books – “The Winning Edge” (1973), “Everyone’s A Coach” (1995), and “The Little Black Book Of Coaching: Motivating People To Be Winners” (2001).
Speaking about his personal life, Don Shula has been married to Mary Anne Stephens since 1993; the couple lives in the Indian Creek, Florida. Previously, he was married to Dorothy Bartish, with whom he has five children. They were together from 1958 to 1991, when she passed away from breast cancer, so in the same year he established The Don Shula Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.
