Former Broncos, Falcons head coach Dan Reeves dies at 77

Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Dan Reeves, a former Dallas Cowboys running back who coached the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons to a total of four Super Bowls, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 77.

Family members told NFL.com Reeves died peacefully early Saturday at his home in Atlanta 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," they said.

Reeves was the Broncos' head coach for 12 seasons, guiding them to Super Bowl appearances in 1986, 1987 and 1989. During his coaching stint in Denver, the Broncos won 60% of their games (110-73-1) and five division titles -- the most of any coach in franchise history.

Reeves also served as head coach of the New York Giants (1993-96) and Falcons (1997-2003).

He participated in nine Super Bowls, winning one as a Cowboys player (1971) and another as an assistant for Dallas head coach Tom Landry (1977). That total ranks as third-most in NFL history, behind only Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

"Reeves coached the Broncos with integrity, character and toughness along with sincere appreciation for his players and coaches," the team said in a statement.

"His time with the Broncos was part of a remarkable 39-year career in professional football in which he appeared in the Super Bowl an astonishing nine times as a player or coach."

In college, Reeves was a quarterback for South Carolina but went undrafted by the NFL. He earned a spot with Cowboys in 1965 as a special-teams player and the next year emerged as a dependable running back, leading the NFL with 16 total touchdowns.

Following a serious knee injury, Reeves retired and was tabbed by Landry as an assistant coach. He got his first shot to lead an NFL team in 1981 when Broncos owner Edgar Kaiser made him the youngest head coach in the league at age 37.

Reeves quickly turned around the underachieving Broncos franchise and cemented its status as one of the best teams of the decade following the drafting of quarterback John Elway in 1983. Together, the pair brought the team unprecedented success, although a Super Bowl victory remained elusive.

After Reeves and the Broncos parted ways, he returned to the Super Bowl as head coach of the Falcons in 1998. He lost to Denver, coached by one of his former assistants, Mike Shanahan.

Reeves is survived by his wife Pam; his children Dana, Lee and Laura; and by grandchildren and great-grandchildren.