George Wilson (American football coach)

For other people with the same name, see George Wilson (disambiguation).
George Wilson
Position: End
Personal information
Date of birth: February 3, 1914
Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois
Date of death: November 23, 1978(1978-11-23) (aged 64)
Place of death: Chicago, Illinois
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school: Austin (Chicago, Illinois)
SJNMA (Delafield, Wisconsin)
College: Northwestern
Undrafted: 1937
Career history
As player:
As coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com
Head coaching record
Career: 68–84–8 (.450)
Player stats at PFR
Coaching stats at PFR

George William Wilson (February 3, 1914 – November 23, 1978) was a professional football end and later a coach for the National Football League's Detroit Lions and the American Football League's Miami Dolphins. He also played one season of professional basketball for the Chicago Bruins in 1939–40.[1]

Football

Playing career

He attended Northwestern University and played professionally for the Chicago Bears from 1937 to 1946, winning four NFL Championships as a player.

Coaching career

In 1957, he became the head coach of the Detroit Lions and, in that same season, won the NFL Championship over the Cleveland Browns, 59–14. Wilson was the first recipient of the NFL Coach of the Year Award. As of 2015, it is the last NFL championship won by the Lions. He was replaced following the 1964 season and spent one year as an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins before being named the first ever head coach of an American Football League expansion franchise, the Miami Dolphins, in 1966.[2] After four losing seasons in Miami, he was replaced with former Baltimore Colts coach Don Shula after the 1969–70 season.

In 1980, Wilson was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.[3]

Wilson's career record was 68–84–8 as head coach, with 2–0 record in the postseason. He is 65th in all-time wins by an NFL coach.

Head coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
WonLostTiesWin %Finish Won Lost Win % Result
DET1957 840.6671st in Western Conference 2 0 1.000 Won Western Conference Playoff over San Francisco 49ers
Won NFL Championship to Cleveland Browns
DET1958 471.3645th in National Conference - - - -
DET1959 381.2735th in National Conference - - - -
DET1960 750.583Tied for 2nd in National Conference - - - -
DET1961 851.6152nd in National Conference - - - -
DET1962 1130.7862nd in National Conference - - - -
DET1963 581.385Tied for 4th in National Conference - - - -
DET1964 752.5834th in National Conference - - - -
DET Total53456.541201.000 -
MIA1966 3110.2145th in Eastern Division - - - -
MIA1967 4100.2864th in Eastern Division - - - -
MIA1968 581.3853rd in Eastern Division - - - -
MIA1969 3101.2315th in Eastern Division - - - -
MIA Total15392.278--- -
Total68848.450201.000 1 NFL title in 12 seasons

Basketball

Playing career

A 6'1" forward, Wilson played in the National Basketball League (a forerunner to the NBA) during the 1939–40 season. He averaged 1.1 points per game in 16 games for the Chicago Bruins.[1]

Film career

Wilson appeared as himself in Paper Lion, a 1968 sports comedy film starring Alan Alda as writer George Plimpton, based on Plimpton's 1966 nonfiction book of the same title, depicting his tryout with the Detroit Lions. The movie premiered in Detroit on October 2, 1968 and was released nationwide the week of October 14, 1968.

References

  1. 1 2 "George Wilson NBL stats". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Historical Highlights (1965-69)". Miami Dolphins. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  3. ↑ MICHIGAN SPORTS HALL OF FAME
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