Bill Arnsparger designed the first four Dolphins Super Bowl defenses — the No Name Defense of the three 1970s Super teams and The Killer Bs that carried the 1982 Dolphins into the Super Bowl. In fact, of the first eight Super Bowls, five had defenses with Arnsparger’s fingerprints. Arnsparger died Friday at 88. Over 14 seasons, Arnsparger did two turns as what today would be called “defensive coordinator” for the Dolphins. His first three seasons, he was the “assistant coach in charge of defense and linebackers.” In 1973 and from 1976 to ’83, he carried the title “assistant head coach/defense,” a strong indication of his value, seeing as how the head coach was all-time NFL wins leader Don Shula. The Dolphins ranked in the NFL’s top five defensively five times under Arnsparger, and, twice, No. 1 — the 1972 17-0 Perfect Season and 1982. There’s a direct line from Arnsparger’s “53 defense,” so named for the situational use of No. 53, linebacker Bob Matheson, as a fourth linebacker in the early 1970s to the 3-4 defenses that became popular later in the decade and remain common today. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article27521356.html#storylink=cpy
The best DC we ever had. If he had stuck around a few more year in his last stint Marino might have gotten that Super Bowl ring. RIP Bill
What a defensive mastermind. Without him coaching our defense we may not have won a Super Bowl, let alone 2 of them...He should be remembered on players jersey's throughout the year and placed in the ring of honor immediately...RIP Mr.Arnsparger and thank you for providing me with the opportunity to watch some of the best defensive football ever.
Shula. Beathard. Arnsparger. Young. Schnellenberger. Clark. Keane. Scarry. Taseff. That team was all the stars lining up correctly at exactly the right time. A moment in time and space that will never be repeated.. Would not have happened without Bill Arnsparger.
