.jpg) Levy in 2009 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | (1925-08-03)August 3, 1925 (age 99) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | South Shore (Chicago, Illinois) | ||
| College: | Wyoming,Coe | ||
| Position: | Defensive back | ||
| Career history | |||
As a coach: | |||
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As an administrator: | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Head coaching record | |||
| Regular season: | NFL: 143–112 (.561) CFL: 43–31–4 (.577) NCAA: 45–60–5 (.432) | ||
| Postseason: | NFL: 11–8 (.579) CFL: 7–3 (.700) | ||
| Career: | NFL: 154–120 (.562) CFL: 50–34–4 (.591) | ||
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |||
Marvin Daniel Levy (/ˈliːviː/; born August 3, 1925)[1] is an American formerfootball coach and executive who was a head coach in theNational Football League (NFL) for seventeen seasons. He spent most of his head coaching career with theBuffalo Bills, leading them from 1986 to 1997. After spending ten years as head coach in college, Levy was hired to coach theMontreal Alouettes ofCanadian Football League (CFL) in 1973. From 1973 to 1977, he won twoGrey Cup titles with Montreal.
After five seasons coaching theKansas City Chiefs, Levy helped the Bills become one of the most dominantAmerican Football Conference (AFC) teams during the 1990s. His greatest success occurred between 1990 and 1993 when he led Buffalo to a record four consecutiveSuper Bowls, although each game ended in defeat. Levy concluded his head coaching career with 11 playoff victories and four Super Bowl appearances, both of which are the most of head coaches to not win an NFL championship.[a]
After retiring from coaching in 1997, Levy served as the general manager of the Bills from 2006 to 2007. He was inducted to thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Levy was born to aJewish family inChicago on August 3, 1925.[1][2]
In 1943, the day after graduation fromSouth Shore High School in Chicago,[3] Levy enlisted in theUnited States Army Air Forces. He served as ameteorologist atApalachicola Army Airfield inFranklin County, Florida, but the war ended before his unit deployed to thePacific.[4]
Though he was known to use historical examples to inspire his teams, Levy corrected those who used war and combat metaphors to describe football games by telling them that he actually fought in a war (despite not being deployed) and that football, and war were in no way comparable.[5] Referring to the Super Bowl, he said "This is not a must-win;World War II was a must-win".[6]Steve Tasker, who played for Levy on the Bills, said[7]
Marv always had a knack for always finding the right thing to say. He wasn't a believer inKnute Rockne, 'Win one for the Gipper' speeches. He didn't like ripping us. But what he said had an effect on us, one way or another. It either got us mad at our opponents or mad at ourselves. Marv was a master psychologist at knowing what buttons to push.
In later years, Levy became a supporter of theWorld War II Memorial[8] and pushed for World War II veterans to be honored atSuper Bowl LIV to commemorate the 75th anniversary of theAllied victory in the war, noting that fewer than 3% of those who served in the war were still alive in 2020.[9]
Levy was initially recruited to theWyoming Cowboys football team as a defensive back.[10] The coach who recruited Levy left Wyoming, and Levy was displeased and exhausted by the following coach's round-the-clock training regimen. He transferred toCoe College inCedar Rapids, Iowa following a single semester.[11]
At Coe College, Levy earned varsity letters infootball,track, andbasketball. He obtained a degree inEnglish literature, was granted membership inPhi Beta Kappa society,[12] and was twice voted student council president. He was also a member of theTau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
He was admitted toHarvard University for graduate studies in 1951, where he earned aMasters of Arts in English history.[13]
Levy's first coaching job was atSt. Louis Country Day School, coaching football and basketball; he coached the school's basketball team to a championship.[14]
Two years later, Levy returned toCoe College as an assistant football coach (1953–1954). In his second stint as a head coach, he also won a championship in basketball; futureNBA CoachBill Fitch was one of his players.[14]
In 1954, he joined the coaching staff at theUniversity of New Mexico and was named head coach in 1958. In two seasons as head coach, he guided the Lobos to a 14–6 record and earnedSkyline Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1958.[15] He interviewed with theUniversity of California, Berkeley on February 2, 1960, and was announced as the new head coach of the Cal Bears on February 5, 1960. Despite selecting a youngBill Walsh as a coaching assistant,[16] Levy's best record during his four-season tenure as head coach at Cal from 1960 to 1963 was 4–5–1.[17]
He finished his college coaching career with a five-year stint as head coach at theCollege of William & Mary[18] where he twice earned Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors. In 1965 his team had the school's first winning record in 12 years.[19]
Levy began his professional football coaching career in 1969 as kicking teams coach for thePhiladelphia Eagles before joiningGeorge Allen's staff as aspecial teams coach for theLos Angeles Rams in 1970. He followed Allen toWashington, D.C., in 1971, where he served as theWashington Redskins' special teams coach for two seasons.
Levy then served as the head coach of theMontreal Alouettes of theCanadian Football League for five seasons. He coached Montreal to three CFLGrey Cup appearances and two championships, and won theAnnis Stukus Trophy (Coach of the Year) in1974.
Levy returned to the NFL in 1978 as head coach of theKansas City Chiefs. He coached the Chiefs for five seasons with steady improvement each year, but was fired at the end of the strike-shortened 1982 season with a 3–6 record.[20]
Midway through the1986 season, following a two-year hiatus from coaching and one season as the head coach of theChicago Blitz of theUSFL, Levy returned to the NFL with theBuffalo Bills. Initially hired as a television analyst, Levy replacedHank Bullough seven games into the regular season as head coach. He finished the season with a 2–5 record.
In1987, his first full season with the Bills, the team returned to respectability with a 7–8 record and were in the playoff hunt throughout most of the season.The following season the team posted a 12–4 record and won the first of six AFC Eastern Division titles.[21]
With his high-powered "no-huddle" offense, Levy's Bills went on to make four consecutiveSuper Bowl appearances from 1990 to 1993, the most in league history.[20] Each game ended in defeat, however, tying Levy withBud Grant andDan Reeves for the most Super Bowl appearances without a victory. Nonetheless, he is credited with changing the franchise's culture. When the Bills won the 1988 AFC East title, it was only the Bills' fourth playoff appearance since theAFL-NFL merger and their fifth winning season since winning two consecutive AFL titles in 1964 and 1965.
From 1988 through 1997, the Bills were first in the AFC in winning percentage and second only to theSan Francisco 49ers in the NFL. Levy, the winningest coach in Bills' history, recorded a 112–70 regular season record[22] and was 11–8 in the playoffs during his eleven seasons with the Bills.[20] He was namedNFL Coach of the Year in1988 and AFC Coach of the Year in 1988,1993, and1995.[23]
Levy retired after the 1997 season, when he felt that it was time to rest, doing so despite the pleas of Wilson to stay. He later stated that he regretted the decision.[24] He later became an analyst for NFL.com. In 2001, Levy was elected to thePro Football Hall of Fame inCanton, Ohio.[25] Along with former Bills' special-teamerSteve Tasker, Levy did local broadcasts for the Bills' pre-season games from 1998 until being appointed the Bills' general manager in 2006.[26] During the regular season he was a part of the Chicago Bears pregame show onESPN Radio 1000 (WMVP-AM), as well as a Bears postgame show onComcast SportsNet.
Early in his tenure with the Bills, an emotional Levy gathered the team around him and exclaimed, "Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?" The question became a standard part of Levy's pregame routine, and was adopted as a battle cry by the Bills during their resurgence underSean McDermott. Before each game, a Bills legend leads the crowd atHighmark Stadium in the chant.[27]
On January 5, 2006, Bills ownerRalph Wilson enlisted Levy, at the age of 80, to act asgeneral manager andvice presidentof football operations for the Buffalo Bills.[28] Following the resignation ofMike Mularkey, there was initial speculation (created by Levy's own comments at a team press conference) that Levy would resume a coaching role with the team. To eliminate this speculation, and to minimize any future tension between Levy and the Bills' new head coach, team owner Wilson said: "He was hired to be the GM and would never coach the team."[29]
Levy's first order of business was to hire a new coach as a replacement for Mularkey, who resigned within days of Levy's appointment.[30] After a strenuous interview process Levy and team owner Wilson hiredDetroit Lions interim head coachDick Jauron as coach. Jauron had been head coach of theChicago Bears.[31]
Following the Bills' last game of the 2007 season, Levy decided to step down as general manager of the Bills following the expiration of his two-year contract.[32]
He returned to live in his nativeChicago, although he also spent some time inMontreal mentoring then-Alouettes head coachMarc Trestman.[33] Levy stated he would be open to returning to coaching if asked.[34]
In 2000, Levy appeared as a studio analyst at Fox NFL Sunday. In 2002, he was color commentator for the NFL on FOX withRon Pitts for select games.
In 2009, Levy collaborated with Buffalo football historianJeffrey J. Miller to write a book entitledGame Changers: The Greatest Plays in Buffalo Bills Football History.[35]
In August 2011, Levy published a second book,Between the Lies, featuring a team based loosely on the Bills and including a quarterback named "Kelly James" progressing to theSuper Bowl against aLos Angeles-based team and its take-no-prisoners head coach, while a scandal erupts, placing the integrity of the game at risk.[36]
A lifelongChicago Cubs fan, Levy was among a select few people in attendance at both the1945 World Series, which he attended while on furlough from the Army Air Forces, and the Cubs' next appearance, the2016 World Series.[37]
Levy's fourth book, the children's bookGo Cubs Go, is about the 2016 series.[38]
In 2017, he said that he has not paid much attention to professional football in the past several years as of 2017.[39]
In 2020, Levy assisted The Friends of the NationalWorld War II Memorial to convince NFL teams—and the league itself—to recognize the 75th anniversary of the war, honoring veterans atSuper Bowl LIV in Miami.[40]
In 2021, he was inducted into theCanadian Football Hall of Fame.[41]
In 2022, Levy appeared at the Bills' home opener along withJim Kelly, his former quarterback. Kelly passed the mic to Levy, who led the crowd in the "right here, right now" chant.[42][43] On January 19, 2025, he delivered a pre-recorded message of well-wishes to the Bills squad ahead of its playoff game with the Baltimore Ravens.[44]
Levy and his first wife Mary have a daughter, Kim, and two grandchildren Angela (oldest) and George (youngest). He has been married to his second wife,Fran, since 1999. Following the death ofArt McNally on January 1, 2023, Levy became the oldest livingPro Football Hall of Fame member.
Levy is avegetarian.[45]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico Lobos(Skyline Conference)(1958–1959) | |||||||||
| 1958 | New Mexico | 7–3 | 5–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1959 | New Mexico | 7–3 | 4–2 | 3rd | |||||
| New Mexico: | 14–6 | 9–3 | |||||||
| California Golden Bears(Athletic Association of Western Universities)(1960–1963) | |||||||||
| 1960 | California | 2–7–1 | 1–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1961 | California | 1–8–1 | 1–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1962 | California | 1–9 | 0–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1963 | California | 4–5–1 | 1–3 | 5th | |||||
| California: | 8–29–3 | 3–13 | |||||||
| William & Mary Indians(Southern Conference)(1964–1968) | |||||||||
| 1964 | William & Mary | 4–6 | 4–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1965 | William & Mary | 6–4 | 5–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1966 | William & Mary | 5–4–1 | 4–1–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1967 | William & Mary | 5–4–1 | 2–2–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1968 | William & Mary | 3–7 | 2–3 | 5th | |||||
| William & Mary: | 23–25–2 | 17–10–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 45–60–5 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| MTL | 1973 | 7 | 6 | 1 | .536 | 3rd in East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toOttawa Rough Riders in East Final. |
| MTL | 1974 | 9 | 5 | 2 | .625 | 1st in East | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won overEdmonton Eskimos in62nd Grey Cup. |
| MTL | 1975 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in East | 2 | 1 | 0.667 | Lost toEdmonton Eskimos in63rd Grey Cup. |
| MTL | 1976 | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 3rd in East | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | Lost toHamilton Tiger-Cats in East Semi-Final. |
| MTL | 1977 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .689 | 1st in East | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | Won overEdmonton Eskimos in65th Grey Cup. |
| CFL Total | 43 | 31 | 4 | .577 | 7 | 3 | .700 | Won twoGrey Cup Championships. | ||
| KC | 1978 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 5th in AFC West | – | – | – | – |
| KC | 1979 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 5th in AFC West | – | – | – | – |
| KC | 1980 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in AFC West | – | – | – | – |
| KC | 1981 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3rd in AFC West | – | – | – | – |
| KC | 1982 | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 4th in AFC West | – | – | – | – |
| KC Total | 31 | 42 | 0 | .425 | – | – | – | |||
| CHI | 1984 | 5 | 13 | 0 | .278 | 5th in Central | – | – | – | – |
| USFL Total | 5 | 13 | 0 | .278 | – | – | – | |||
| BUF | 1986 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| BUF | 1987 | 7 | 8 | 0 | .467 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| BUF | 1988 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toCincinnati Bengals inAFC Championship Game |
| BUF | 1989 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 1st in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toCleveland Browns inAFC Divisional Game |
| BUF | 1990 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toNew York Giants inSuper Bowl XXV |
| BUF | 1991 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toWashington Redskins inSuper Bowl XXVI |
| BUF | 1992 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in AFC East | 3 | 1 | .750 | Lost toDallas Cowboys inSuper Bowl XXVII |
| BUF | 1993 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toDallas Cowboys inSuper Bowl XXVIII |
| BUF | 1994 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| BUF | 1995 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in AFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toPittsburgh Steelers inAFC Divisional Game |
| BUF | 1996 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toJacksonville Jaguars inAFC Wild Card Game |
| BUF | 1997 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| BUF Total | 112 | 70 | 0 | .615 | 11 | 8 | .579 | |||
| NFL Total[46] | 143 | 112 | 0 | .561 | 11 | 8 | .579 | |||
| Total | 191 | 156 | 4 | .550 | 18 | 11 | .621 | |||
Though not religiously observant, Levy comes from a Jewish family.
RightHereRightNow was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
Media related toMarv Levy at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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| Other | |
