Happy 100th Birthday, Marv Levy

August 3, 1925, 100 years ago: Marvin Daniel Levy is born in Chicago. In World War II, he was a meteorologist for what was then called the U.S. Army Air Forces. Given that he ended up coaching in Canada, Kansas City, Chicago and Buffalo, that may have helped.

He was the head coach at the University of California and the College of William & Mary, leading W&M to the 1966 Southern Conference (not Southeastern Conference) title, before getting his 1st pro coaching job, in 1969, as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. With George Allen’s Washington Redskins, he reached Super Bowl VII in 1973. He led the Montreal Alouettes to the Championship of Canadian football, the Grey Cup, in 1974 and 1977. In 1978, he became head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. In 1984, he succeeded Allen as head coach of the USFL’s Chicago Blitz.

In 1986, he became head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He led them to 4 straight AFC Championships – but lost all 4 Super Bowls. He went 45-60-5 as a college head coach, 43-31-4 as a pro head coach in Canada, and 143-112 in America.

He grew up a fan of the Chicago Cardinals, the team now known as the Arizona Cardinals, and hates the Chicago Bears, including their theme song, "Bear Down, Chicago Bears." In 1994, after losing to the Bears and hearing that song, he promised his players that if they won their next game, he would write them a fight song. They beat the Miami Dolphins, and he kept his word.

Marv Levy was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and the Bills Wall of Fame. He turns 100 today.