Dan Reeves, former Giants head coach, passes at 77

Dan Reeves, who coached the New York Giants from 1993-1996, passed away Saturday morning. Reeves was 77.

Reeves led the Giants to an 11-5 record in 1993, his first at the helm. The Giants finished second in the NFC East. defeated the Minnesota Vikings in a divisional round playoff game and were then routed by the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional round.

The Giants went 9-7, 5-11, 6-10 in Reeves’ other three seasons. Overall, he finished 31-33 (.484) with the Giants.

“Dan Reeves had a legendary NFL career as both a player and a coach,” said John Mara, the Giants’ president and chief executive officer. “He made an indelible mark on the League and all of the people he played with, coached and worked alongside. He was one of the finest men I have ever been around in this business. Our deepest condolences to Pam and the entire Reeves family.”

“He was a great coach, great man,” said former running back Rodney Hampton, who rushed for 4,161 yards in four seasons under Reeves. “He’s going to be truly missed. My prayers go out to Mrs. (Pam) Reeves and all his family. I’m sure he has a lot going his way because he touched a lot of people. He was a teacher, too. He taught us how to be men. When I first got there, we used to always stay at hotels (the night before home games). He told us, ‘You’re grown men, you should know what to do to take care of yourself.’ So when he got there, we stayed at our own place, our own house.”

Reeves coached the Denver Broncos for 12 seasons before coming to the Giants, taking Denver to the Super Bowl three times. One of those, Super Bowl XXI, was a 39-20 loss to the Giants in 1987. Reeves coached the Atlanta Falcons for seven seasons after leaving the Giants. He took the Falcons to the 1998 Super, losing — ironically — to the Broncos.

A running back, Reeves played eight seasons (1965-72) for the Dallas Cowboys. He was part of Dallas’ Super Bowl VI-winning team in the 1971 season.

Reeves’ family released a statement via NFL Network:

“Legendary NFL player and coach Dan Reeves passed away early this morning, peacefully and surrounded by his loving family at his home in Atlanta, GA. He passed away at age 77 due to complications from a long illness. His legacy will continue through his many friends, players and fans as well as the rest of the NFL community. Arrangements are still to be determined.”