Dick Vermeil

Dick Vermeil is a legendary NFL coach known for his ability to turn around struggling franchises. Over 15 seasons, he served as head coach for three National Football League teams: the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs, leading each team to the postseason after years of underachievement. Vermeil's expertise in rebuilding teams culminated in some of the most memorable success stories in NFL history, including a Super Bowl victory.

Born and raised in California, Vermeil's coaching journey began in his home state, where he worked his way up from high school and junior college coaching positions to becoming an assistant coach at Stanford from 1965 to 1968. His big break in the NFL came in 1969 when he became the league’s first designated special teams coach under Hall of Famer George Allen with the Los Angeles Rams. After a brief return to college football as an assistant at UCLA, Vermeil rejoined the Rams as an assistant coach from 1971 to 1973.

In 1974, UCLA offered Vermeil its head coaching position, where he compiled a 15-5-3 record over two seasons. His tenure with UCLA reached its peak with a stunning upset over Ohio State in the 1976 Rose Bowl, denying the Buckeyes a national championship and catapulting Vermeil into the NFL spotlight. He took over the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976, a team that had been out of the playoffs for nearly two decades. By his third season, in 1978, the Eagles were back in the playoffs. Two years later, Vermeil led the Eagles to an NFC Championship and a trip to Super Bowl XV. After seven seasons in Philadelphia, Vermeil stepped down in 1982, citing burnout.

For the next 14 years, Vermeil worked as a football analyst for CBS and ABC before being coaxed back to coaching by the St. Louis Rams in 1997. In just three seasons, Vermeil turned the Rams into a powerhouse, guiding them to a 13-3 record and winning Super Bowl XXXIV with the explosive offense known as "The Greatest Show on Turf." For his efforts, Vermeil was named the AP Coach of the Year. He retired shortly after the Super Bowl victory but returned to coaching one last time in 2001 with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he once again executed a turnaround, leading the team to a 13-3 record and ending a five-year playoff drought by his third season.

Vermeil retired from coaching with a career NFL record of 126-114, including a 6-5 record in the playoffs. Post-retirement, he has worked as a color commentator for ESPN and the NFL Network, sharing his extensive knowledge of the game. Additionally, Vermeil has turned his passion for winemaking into a successful business, producing Jean Louis Vermeil Cabernet and owning Vermeil Wines, which produces 2250 cases of Calistoga Napa Valley wines annually. His legacy as a coach who mastered the art of the three-year turnaround and led teams to new heights remains a testament to his football acumen and leadership. Furthermore, Vermeil was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in the class of 2022, a fitting recognition of his contributions to the sport.