Established: 1966
Home Field: Land Shark Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida
Owner(s): Stephen M. Ross (95%), H. Wayne Huizenga (5%), Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony, Venus Williams and Serena Williams.
General Manager: Jeff Ireland
Head Coach: Tony Sparano

The Dolphins were established in 1966 as part of the AFL. A contest was held to decide the name of the new team in which nearly 20,000 entries were received. Some names considered for the team were the Mariners, Marauders, Mustangs, Missiles, Moons, Sharks, and Suns. The winning name, with 622 entrants, was the Dolphins. They joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger in 1970 and they currently play in the AFC East.

Upon entering the NFL, the Dolphins managed to gain almost immediate success. Under the guidance of legendary coach Don Shula, the team made it to the Super Bowl in 1971; however, they lost to the Cowboys 24-3. In 1972, they became the first and only team to post a perfect record and win the Super Bowl. They continued with their success under the guidance of Shula, becoming the first team to advance to the Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons.

In 1983, the Dolphins began another historic period in the team’s history when Shula gave then rookie QB Dan Marino the starter position. With Marino leading the way, the team continually posted winning seasons through the 80s and early 90s. In 1995, Shula was replaced with Jimmy Johnson, but after the 1999 season, both he and Marino left the team. Without Marino, the team made it to the playoffs for the next two seasons, but it was to be their last for six years. The team greatly improved under the leadership of current head coach Tony Sparano in 2008. With the help of the ‘WildCat’ offense, they made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Championships

League Championships
Super Bowl: 1972, 1973

Conference Championships
AFC: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1982, 1984

Division Championships
AFC East: 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1992,
1994, 2000, 2008

Dolphins Trivia

• The Dolphins are often referred to as ‘The Fish’ despite the fact that dolphins are in fact mammals.
• In 1977, famed QB Miami Bob Griese became the first player to wear eyeglasses during a regular season game.
• During Don Shula’s 26 tenure as the head coach of the Dolphins, the team only posted two losing seasons.