Dolphins Coach Advances In Hall of Fame Selection Process

Bill Arnsparger, the famed assistant coach who directed the Miami Dolphins' "No Name Defense" and the "Killer B's" with his innovative defensive strategies and helped the team win two Super Bowls, has advanced in the process to being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Arnsparger is one of 12 individuals in the "Coach" category who will make it to the next step in the Hall of Fame voting process.

Arnsparger started his coaching career in college at his alma mater, Miami University (Ohio), where he had played under legendary coach Woody Hayes. He later spent time under Hayes at Ohio State, followed by coaching tours at Kentucky and Tulane, before jumping to the NFL in 1964 with the Baltimore Colts under future Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Shula. There, Arnsparger coached the Colts' defensive line on teams that reached the 1964 NFL title game and Super Bowl III.

Arnsparger rejoined Shula as assistant coach of the Miami Dolphins, where he helped lead the Dolphins to a perfect season, the only such record in NFL history, and wins in Super Bowl VII and VII.

Following these stellar back-to-back seasons, Arnsparger would go on to serve as the head coach of the New York Giants before returning to the Dolphins and helping the team reach Super Bowl XVII.

After leaving the NFL for Louisiana State, Arnsparger went to Super Bowl XXIX as the defensive coordinator for the then-San Diego Chargers, retiring after the Super Bowl loss in 1995.

The Hall's nine-member Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee narrowed its original list of 14 nominees to Arnsparger and the following: Tom Coughlin, Jeff Fisher, Alex Gibbs, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Richie Petitbon, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan, and Clark Shaughnessy.

Next Steps For the Hall of Fame

Later this month, each Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee member will cast a ballot to reduce the list to nine semifinalists. The Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce the results in a couple of weeks. Then, after several weeks of reduction votes, the Blue-Ribbon Committee will select one finalist for the Class of 2025.