Former Falcons coach Dan Reeves, the first coach to guide the franchise to the Super Bowl, is among the coach/contributor semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.
Reeves is one of 12 coach/contributor semifinalists announced Thursday afternoon by the Hall.
Reeves, who coached the Falcons from 1997-2003, died Jan. 1, 2022 at the age of 77 because of complications from a long illness, according to his family.
Reeves appeared in nine Super Bowls as a player (Cowboys), assistant coach (Cowboys), or head coach (Broncos, Falcons). He won two of them: Super Bowl VI as a player and XII as an assistant coach, both with the Cowboys.
In his second season with the Falcons behind quarterback Chris Chandler, running back Jamal Anderson, defensive end Chuck Smith, linebacker Jessie Tuggle and the rest of the “Dirty Birds”, they went to the Super Bowl. With Reeves recovering from quadruple-bypass heart surgery along the way.
Reeves finished with a record of 201-174-2, including 11-9 in the postseason, as a head coach, including 49-59-1 with the Falcons. He also was a head coach for the Denver Broncos (1981-1992) and the New York Giants (1993-1996).
Former Falcons linebacker Tommy Nobis, offensive lineman Mike Kenn, wide receiver/returner Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, offensive linemen Chris Hinton and George Kunz and linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. were on the initial list of seniors committee candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but were not named semifinalists.
Also, current Falcons CEO Rich McKay did not advance in the coach/contributor group.
Here’s a look at who the 12 semifinalists in each category:
Seniors
Ken Anderson
Maxie Baughan
Roger Craig
Randy Gradishar
Joe Jacoby
Albert Lewis
Steve McMichael
Eddie Meador
Art Powell
Sterling Sharpe
Otis Taylor
Al Wistert
Coach/contributor
Tom Coughlin
Mike Holmgren
Frank “Bucko” Kilroy
Robert Kraft
Buddy Parker
Dan Reeves
Art Rooney Jr.
Marty Schottenheimer
Mike Shanahan
Clark Shaughnessy
Lloyd Wells
John Wooten
