Shula A Non-Voting Member Of Board He Claims He Has Little Say In Who’ll Succeed Him As Coach

Not even Don Shula can define what it is he will do in his new role as the Miami Dolphins’ “vice chairman of the board.”

But in announcing Friday his storied 33 seasons as an NFL head coach are over, he suggested that a “vice chairman of the board” does not have a great deal of say-so in whether Jimmy Johnson will coach the Dolphins.

And Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga conceded that Johnson is “obviously at the top of the list” of possible successors.

“If he’s the best guy, I’d recommend he’d be the guy,” Shula said. “That’s what has to be sorted out.”

That seemed to be as much an olive branch as could be extended between Johnson and Shula, two championship-caliber coaches who have feuded since 1991, when Johnson pushed Shula’s son, Dave, off the Dallas Cowboys’ staff.

Johnson, who won a national championship at the University of Miami and back-to-back Super Bowls in Dallas before leaving the Cowboys in 1994, is generally regarded as the best available coach for any NFL job.

Huizenga said he hasn’t spoken to Johnson.

“Either he’ll call us or we’ll call him,” Huizenga said.

Sources said Shula has expressed a desire to be followed by friend Marty Schottenheimer, the Kansas City Chiefs’ coach. But Schottenheimer said he plans to remain in K.C.

“My name is a big one to toss around,” Schottenheimer said, referring to its length. “I don’t even want to talk about that. I’m not going any place. I’ve got two years left on my contract, and with any luck I’ll be around longer than that.”

University of Florida coach Steve Spurrier and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher are among other names mentioned in speculation.

Shula is the NFL’s all-time winningest coach, compiling a record of 347-173-6 with the Baltimore Colts and Miami, where he spent the past 26 seasons. His status is such that he will continue as a part of the Dolphins (he’s a minority owner) and as part of the NFL, where he co-chairs the Competition Committee.

But Shula said, “I won’t office out of (Dolphins headquarters), and I won’t be a part of things on a day-to-day basis. … Today, my family and I begin a new life.”

And so, Johnson might do the same. It is unclear which came first: Shula’s limited role or Johnson’s candidacy. But unquestionably, one could not have happened without the other.

“Don wouldn’t have ever wanted just a figurehead role, but the two of them together, that’s never going to work,” said Tex Schramm, the former Cowboys president and Shula’s close friend.

Johnson is coveted by every NFL team with a vacancy and some that currently employ head coaches. He has spent two years as a broadcaster soliciting offers while biding his time waiting for the Dolphins’ job he has often said would be an ideal fit for him, given his status and comfort level in his adopted hometown of Miami.

“I am aware of the groundswell,” Huizenga said.

But of more immediate concern to the Dolphins on Friday was a fitting observance of the legendary career of Shula, 66, who as a player, assistant and head coach has spent the past 43 years on NFL sidelines.

As recently as two days ago, Shula talked of fulfilling the final year on his contract and returning to coach in 1996.

“Needless to say, this week has been the most difficult - soulsearching, gut-wrenching, all of those things,” Shula said. “I can tell you I’m at peace with myself.”

Shula’s Dolphins went 17-0 in 1972 and are the NFL’s only undefeated team. Miami won the Super Bowl again in 1973, one of a record six Super Bowl appearances for Shula teams. This year, Miami was a preseason Super Bowl favorite but struggled to a 9-7 record and was downed by the Buffalo Bills in a first-round playoff game.

“I’m certainly deserving of some of the criticism, as long as it’s not mean, dirty criticism, which some of it was,” Shula said. “But there have been a lot of great successes.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TODAY’S NFL GAMES Bills at Steelers, 9:30 a.m., NBC Marv Levy, the Bills coach, has an 11-6 playoff record, the 11 victories representing the most among active coaches. The Steelers are 5-1 in home divisional round games under coach Bill Cowher. The loss was to the Bills, 24-3 on Jan. 9, 1993. Last week, Thurman Thomas rushed for 158 yards when the Bills, AFC East champions, beat wild-card Miami 37-22 in Don Shula’s final game as Dolphins coach. The Steelers had a bye. Packers at 49ers, 1 p.m., Fox Mike Holmgren is hoping he doesn’t leave his Super Bowl dream in San Francisco, where he was born and raised and where he coached on the high school and college levels and in the NFL. Holmgren goes home today as head coach of the Green Bay Packers for a second-round NFC playoff game against the 49ers, with whom he was an assistant coach from 1986-91. During the six-year span, the 49ers won two Super Bowls. Now, Holmgren wants the bigger thrill of winning the Super Bowl as a head coach. This will be the first time the Packers and 49ers meet in the playoffs. Green Bay, the NFC Central champion, won its opening-round playoff game last week, beating wild-card Atlanta 37-20, as NFL MVP Brett Favre passed for three touchdowns. Favre threw an NFL-best 38 TD passes during the regular season. The playoff-tested 49ers, looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions, have averaged 32 points in their last 15 postseason games. The NFC West champions had a bye last week. - Associated Press