The Sports Xchange

Bill Arnsparger, the coordinator of the Miami Dolphins’ famous “No-Name” and “Killer B’s” defenses, died Friday at age 88.

Arnsparger coached under Woody Hayes at Ohio State in the early 1950s and met Don Shula while they were assistants at Kentucky in the late 1950s. Shula hired Arnsparger to be his defensive line coach with the Baltimore Colts in 1964, and Arnsparger followed Shula to Miami in 1970 and built the “No-Name Defense” that helped Miami go 17-0 in 1972 and win consecutive Super Bowls.

After Miami’s victory in Super Bowl VIII, Arnsparger was hired to coach the New York Giants, but he was just 7-28 before he was fired in his third season.

He then returned to Miami, where he put together the “Killer B’s” defense of the early 1980s that included Bob Baumhower, Bill Barnett, Lyle Blackwood, Kim Bokamper, Glenn Blackwood, Charles Bowser, Doug Betters and Bob Brudzinski.

In 11 seasons with the Dolphins, Arnsparger’s defenses led the league in fewest points allowed nine times.

Arnsparger also was a key figure in the careers of Dick LeBeau and Steve Spurrier. Arnsparger shared his zone defense principles with LeBeau, who then became the modern master of that scheme while with the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.

As athletic director at Florida from 1986 to 1992, Arnsparger hired Spurrier, who went on to lead the school to six SEC championships and the 1996 national title.