Dick Vermeil, the Philadelphia Eagles head coach who led the Birds to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance 41 years ago, received the highest individual honor football has to offer: membership to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. “His passion and love for the game, his players and our city are among the reasons he remains a beloved figure in Eagles history to this day,” says Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie.
Vermeil first came to the attention of the football world in 1974 as the new head coach at UCLA. He was hired by the Eagles in 1976, brought the Eagles to Super Bowl XV in 1980 but left the job after the 1982 season, citing “burnout” (a term that hadn’t yet hit the mainstream). He stayed away from the sidelines for 15 years, spending much of that time as a TV analyst before the Rams lured him back to the NFL in 1997 and, in 2001, he moved across Missouri to take the helm of the Kansas City Chiefs. He stayed there until officially retiring in 2005.
Vermeil, who posted a 57-51 record over his 7 seasons as an Eagle, was inducted into the Eagles’ Hall of Fame in 1994.