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Gunther Cunningham
Personal information
Date of birth (1946-06-19) June 19, 1946 (age 77)
Place of birth Munich, Germany
Career information
Position(s) Defensive Coordinator
College Oregon
Head coaching record
Regular season 16–16–0
Postseason 0-0
Career record 16–16–0
Stats
Coaching stats Pro Football Reference
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1969-1971

1972

1973


1974-1976

1977

1978

1979-1980


1981


1982-1984


1985-1990

1991

1992–1993

1994

1995–1998

1999–2000

2001–2003


2004–2008

2009–present
University of Oregon
(Defensive line coach)
University of Arkansas
(Defensive line coach)
Stanford University
(Assistant offensive line coach)
(Freshman coach)
Stanford University
(Defensive line coach)
University of California
(Defensive backs coach)
University of California
(Linebackers coach)
University of California
(Defensive coordinator)
(Defensive line coach)
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
(Defensive line coach)
(Linebackers coach)
Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
(Defensive line coach)
(Linebackers coach)
San Diego Chargers
(Defensive line coach)
Los Angeles Raiders
(Linebackers coach)
Los Angeles Raiders
(Defensive coordinator)
Los Angeles Raiders
(Defensive line coach)
Kansas City Chiefs
(Defensive coordinator)
Kansas City Chiefs
(Head coach)
Tennessee Titans
(Assistant head coach)
(Linebackers coach)
Kansas City Chiefs
(Defensive coordinator)
Detroit Lions
(Defensive coordinator)

Gunther Cunningham (born June 19, 1946) is an American football defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. Cunningham has presided over some of the most successful defenses in NFL history (1995 & 1997), typically ranking at the top of the league in many statistical categories.

Cunningham was born in 1946 in war-torn Munich, Germany to an American serviceman and a German mother before moving to the United States at age ten. He attended the University of Oregon, where he played linebacker and placekicker before embarking on a coaching career that has now spanned almost forty years. In 1995, Cunningham was hired by the Chiefs as the defensive coordinator after spending the previous four seasons as a coach with the Los Angeles Raiders.

During his original tenure as defensive coordinator, Cunningham's defenses allowed an average of only 16.4 points per game, the best mark in the NFL and had a turnover margin of +30, tops in the AFC. Under his lead, a number of players excelled, including stars such as Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith, James Hasty, and Dale Carter. Cunningham's defenses led Kansas City to an overall record of 42-22.

After the Chiefs missed the playoffs in 1998, head coach Marty Schottenheimer resigned, opening the door for Cunningham's promotion to the head coach position. After finishing two seasons with a .500 win percentage, Cunningham was fired and replaced by Dick Vermeil. The move was controversial at the time as Cunningham claims he was never informed by management that he was to be fired, and apparently only found out about it after discovering the article regarding his termination on the Chiefs website after he showed up to work one morning. Cunningham went on to become a successful linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans. Under Vermeil, the Chiefs' offense exploded, but its defense struggled, resulting in the firing of Vermeil's choice of defensive coordinator, Greg Robinson. Cunningham was hired again to revitalize a defense that had finished near or at the bottom of the overall rankings since Schottenheimer and Cunningham departed.

For the 2008 season, Cunningham coached the Chiefs' linebackers as well as serving as the defensive coordinator.

Cunningham was hired as the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator on January 21, 2009, about a week after the Lions hired new head coach Jim Schwartz, who he worked with on the Titans from 2001-2003.[1]

He became a naturalized U.S. citizen on April 6, 2010.[2]

Head coaching record[]

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
KC 1999 9 7 0 .563 2nd in AFC West - - - -
KC 2000 7 9 0 .438 3rd in AFC West - - - -
KC Total 16 16 0 .500 - - - -
NFL Total[3] 16 16 0 .500 - - - -
Total 16 16 0 .500 - - - -

References[]

External links[]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Dave Adolph
Los Angeles Raiders Defensive Coordinator
1992–1993
Succeeded by
John Fox
Preceded by
Dave Adolph
Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator
1995–1998
Succeeded by
Kurt Schottenheimer
Preceded by
Greg Robinson
Kansas City Chiefs Defensive Coordinator
2004–2008
Succeeded by
Clancy Pendergast
Preceded by
Joe Barry
Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator
2009–present
Succeeded by
Incumbent


fr:Gunther Cunningham

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