Miami Dolphins · Franchise era 1 of 6
The expansion Dolphins: the Miami Dolphins story
Franchise era
1966—1969
The expansion Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The story in one sentence
Miami's difficult opening seasons supplied several core pieces before the league's winningest coach arrived.
A young franchise waits for Shula
Bob Griese, Larry Little and Nick Buoniconti gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for perfection.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Miami reached perfection under Don Shula, then spent seventeen seasons inside Dan Marino's passing brilliance before a modern speed-based offense revived the franchise's imagination.
1966—1969
The expansion Dolphins
Miami's difficult opening seasons supplied several core pieces before the league's winningest coach arrived.
After 1969
What came next
Shula built a disciplined, adaptable powerhouse that went 17–0 in 1972 and repeated as champion the next season.
The core