Landry, Tom

Tom Landry, byname of Thomas Wade Landry, (born September 11, 1924, Mission, Texas, U.S.—died February 12, 2000, Dallas, Texas), American professional gridiron football coach, notably with the National Football League (NFL) Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1989. He molded the Cowboys into a dominant team from the late 1960s to the early ’80s.

Landry began his professional career as a player with the All-America Football Conference New York Yankees (1949) and moved to the NFL New York Giants (1950–55) as a cornerback. He was a player-coach in 1954–55, and, as an assistant coach in charge of defense through the 1959 season, his 4–3 alignment revolutionized defensive play, making it a glamorous part of the game.

Landry became coach of the newly formed Cowboys team in 1960, and in his first season they won no games, lost 11, and tied 1. Losing seasons continued for the team through 1964. The Cowboys then went on to 20 consecutive winning seasons. They competed in 2 NFL championship games, 10 National Football Conference championship games, and 5 Super Bowls, losing 3 of them (1971, 1976, and 1979) and winning 2 (1972 and 1978). While his teams were celebrated for their innovative play (the Cowboys revived the shotgun formation and pioneered situational substitutions) and computer-aided efficiency, Landry himself was known for his bland demeanour, his conservative dress (he was rarely seen without a sport coat and a fedora) on the sidelines, and, away from football, his religious piety. His overall record was 270 wins, 178 losses, and 6 ties, a .601 winning percentage.

After several consecutive losing seasons, Landry was dismissed as coach of the Cowboys in 1989 when the team was sold to a new owner. In 1990 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.