Joe Gibbs

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For the Jamaican record producer, see Joe Gibbs (record producer)

Joe Gibbs
Image:Joe Gibbs at Dept of Education event, cropped.jpg
Date of birth	November 25, 1940
Place of birth	Mocksville, North Carolina
Position(s)	Head Coach Team President
College	San Diego State
Awards	1991 Sporting News COY 1983 AP Coach of the Year 1983 Sporting News COY 1983 Pro Football Weekly COY 1982 AP Coach of the Year 1982 Sporting News COY 1982 Pro Football Weekly COY 1982 UPI NFL COY (NFC)
Honors	70 Greatest Redskins Redskins' Ring of Fame
Career Record	157-82-0 as of 2006 (including Postseason)
Super Bowl Wins	1991 Super Bowl XXVI 1987 Super Bowl XXII 1982 Super Bowl XVII
Championships Won	1991 NFC Championship 1987 NFC Championship 1983 NFC Championship 1982 NFC Championship
Coaching Stats	Pro Football Reference
Coaching Stats	DatabaseFootball
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1973-1977 1978 1979-1980 1981-1992 2004-Present	St. Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Buccaneers San Diego Chargers Washington Redskins* Washington Redskins*
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1996

Joe Jackson Gibbs (born November 25, 1940, in Mocksville, North Carolina) is a Hall of Fame American football coach and NASCAR Championship team owner. He is the 20th and 26th head coach in the history of the Washington Redskins. Well known for his long hours and work ethic, Joe Gibbs put together championship teams with players who may have had mediocre careers if playing for other NFL teams. During his first stint in the National Football League, he coached the Redskins for 12 seasons and lead them to eight playoff appearances, four NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowl titles. After retiring at the end of the 1992 season, he switched focus to his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, which won three championships under his ownership. On January 7, 2004, Gibbs came out of retirement to rejoin the Redskins as head coach and team president, signing a 5-year, $28.5 million contract<ref>Gibbs' deal more lucrative than Spurrier's</ref>. He is only active coach in the NFL to be inducted into Hall of Fame as a coach.

1 Early career
2 Washington Redskins career (1981-1992)
- 2.1 Style of play
3 NASCAR career (1991-present)
4 Return to the Redskins (2004-present)
5 Family
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Early career

Gibbs attended Cerritos Junior College and then San Diego State University (SDSU), where he played tight end, offensive guard and linebacker on the football team, coached by Don Coryell. Gibbs graduated from SDSU in 1964 and earned a master's degree in 1966.

Gibbs began his career with a stint as offensive line coach at San Diego State under Coryell (1964-1966). He held the same position at Florida State (1967-1968) before serving under John McKay at Southern California (1969-1970) and Frank Broyles at Arkansas (1971-1972). Gibbs then rose up to the National Football League, hired as the offensive backfield coach for the St. Louis Cardinals (1973-1977) by head coach Don Coryell. After a season as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1978) under McKay, Gibbs rejoined Coryell with the San Diego Chargers (1979-1980).

As the offensive coordinator for San Diego, Gibbs spearheaded the highly successful "Air Coryell" offense. Using a sophisticated passing attack, the Chargers and quarterback Dan Fouts set multiple offensive records during Gibbs' two seasons there, notably becoming the first team to average more than 400 yards of offense per game. After 17 years of coaching as an assistant, in 1981 Gibbs was offered a job as the head coach of the Washington Redskins by Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke.

[edit] Washington Redskins career (1981-1992)

After firing then-head coach Jack Pardee, Cooke was on the lookout for candidates. When general manager Bobby Beathard pointed out the forty-year-old San Diego assistant coach, Cooke saw potential in him and Gibbs was hired.

Gibbs' first season with the Redskins started inauspiciously when the team lost their first five games. Owner Jack Kent Cooke famously expressed confidence in Gibbs, declaring that the team would finish 8-8. The losses and Cooke's confidence served as a catalyst, and the newly-motivated team improved and reached an even 8-8 record in 1981.

Gibbs' second season with the Redskins (1982) realized the dreams of the entire Redskins fanbase: an NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl victory. In a strike-shortened season, the team advanced through the playoffs and eventually won Super Bowl XVII by beating the Miami Dolphins 27-17, taking revenge for Washington's loss to Miami in Super Bowl VII.

The following season (1983), Gibbs' surprising success continued and the Redskins once again won an NFC Championship, advancing to Super Bowl XVIII. The Redskins were an overwhelming favorite going into the game, but proved overconfident, collapsing and being crushed by the Los Angeles Raiders 38-9. Gibbs cried conspiracy in private, believing his team may have been bugged during practice the week of practice before the Super Bowl.

Three years later, in 1986, Gibbs coached the team back to the NFC Championship game, but lost to the New York Giants. It was to be his last championship game loss. The following season (1987), the Redskins got into the playoffs and reached Super Bowl XXII, where they rode on the arm of quarterback Doug Williams to blow out the Denver Broncos 42-10.

Four years later, in 1991, Gibbs' Redskins were the most dominant team in the league. They won their first 11 games before finishing the season 14-2, and cruised through the playoffs to the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XXVI, the Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24, giving Gibbs and the team their third Super Bowl title.

After one more season of coaching, Gibbs suddenly retired in early 1993, surprising many in the organization and around the league. A notorious workaholic, he had begun to suffer some health problems, and he cited a desire to spend more time with his family.

In 1996, Gibbs was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was one of the winningest coaches in NFL history, at that time having a record of 124 wins and 60 losses, and a post-season record of 16 wins and five losses. His combined winning percentage of .683 was third all-time (behind Vince Lombardi and John Madden). In his 12 seasons, the Redskins won 4 NFC East titles, reached the playoffs 8 times, and finished with a losing record only once (7-9 in 1988). Gibbs is also the only NFL coach to ever win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks (and also three different starting running backs).

[edit] Style of play

Although Gibbs helped craft a passing-oriented attack during his time in San Diego, his Redskin teams were known as rushing-oriented squads that focused on power running football. By building a strong offensive line (known as "The Hogs") Gibbs was able to control the line of scrimmage, allowing workhorse running backs like John Riggins to power the ground game. To this Gibbs added a deep passing attack that supplemented and complemented the ground game, utilizing receivers like Art Monk. Gibbs' offense was aided during his tenure by strong defensive units under the direction of defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon.

Gibbs system and offensive scheme was robust enough to be successful without a Hall-of-Fame-caliber quarterback at the helm. The Redskins' Super Bowl victories were won using Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, and Mark Rypien -- capable players who could be very successful when given a strong supporting cast.

Gibbs is credited with inventing the single back, double or triple tight end set. He used it to neutralize Lawrence Taylor, realizing that to successfully block him with a running back was impossible; an extra tight end and a tackle were required. By having an extra tight end, it also gave more protection for the quarterback. Gibbs was also credited in creating the Wide Receiver Bunch Formation; stacking three wide receivers to one side. Gibbs incorporated the shifting and motions for which his offenses were known, the formation also created a lot of mismatches and confusion among the defense that could be exploited. He is also one of the few coaches that utilizes the H-back position prominently in his offense.

[edit] NASCAR career (1991-present)

Gibbs created his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing in 1991, a year before he first retired from the NFL. The first driver for his team was Dale Jarrett(1991-1992), with the sponsor Interstate Batteries, and the number 18. Interstate Batteries still sponsors the 18 car but it has since seen drivers Bobby Labonte (1993-2005) and JJ Yeley (2006-present) His son, J.D. Gibbs, is now the president of Joe Gibbs Racing and oversees daily operations of each of the teams since his fathers return to the NFL. Joe Gibbs Racing consist of NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series teams as well as two Late Model racing teams. His Nextel Cup teams consist of #18 J.J. Yeley, #20 Tony Stewart, and #11 Denny Hamlin, and a part-time #80 team with Jeff Fuller. His Busch Series teams consist of #18 J.J. Yeley and #20 Denny Hamlin, with a part-time team (#19) for Aric Almirola. Gibbs has won three NASCAR Championships, starting in 2000 with Bobby Labonte, and in 2002 and 2005 with Tony Stewart. His most recent successes were wins in June and July, 2006 when Denny Hamlin, a rookie, won the Pocono 500, his first win, and Pennsylvania 500. Also, Denny Hamlin was one of the 10 drivers qualified for the 10 race Chase for the Nextel Cup.

[edit] Return to the Redskins (2004-present)

Main articles: Washington Redskins and 2006 Washington Redskins season

Throughout his retirement, many NFL owners approached him hoping to lure him out of retirement but to no avail. Some owners even offered to move his entire NASCAR racing team to their team's city if he came back. The only team he seriously considered coming back for was the Carolina Panthers when they first joined the NFL as an expansion in 1995. However he did not believe he would be able to manage his time between his race team and coaching<ref>Ex-coach Gibbs still driven to succeed</ref>. Even though he left the football world, the football world never left him. In 1999, he was part of a group that was trying to buy the Redskins but ultimately failed. In 2002, Gibbs and a small group of investors bought five percent of the Atlanta Falcons from owner, Arthur Blank for $27 million<ref>Gibbs among minority owners</ref>. It wasn't until late 2003 when Gibbs really started to catch the football fever again. Arthur Blank and his general manager, Rich McKay moved quickly to interview him for the Falcons's vacant head coaching position due to the firing of Dan Reeves. However when Gibbs found out that Steve Spurrier resigned as the Redskins' head coach, they realized that even though Gibbs was one of the team's minority owners, his loyalty still lies with the Redskins<ref>Coach-GM carousel</ref>.

It is well-documented that Daniel Snyder had been turned down by Gibbs down several times before. On December 31, 2003, Snyder's private plane (Redskin One) was spotted at an airport outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. After spending 11 years in retirement from the NFL, Snyder successfully lured Gibbs out of retirement. Gibbs' change of heart was quite a surprise to the football and NASCAR worlds. It has been said that when Gibbs said yes to return to the Redskins, Snyder became very emotional. During his January 7th press conference which welcomed him back, he stated that even though he enjoyed NASCAR immensely, he had missed coaching in the NFL even more. And although he had fielded offers in the past, he could only see himself coaching for the Redskins.

Because of his credibility and a very resourceful owner, Gibbs was able to assemble one the largest and most experienced coaching staffs in the NFL. Many coaches from his previous tenure with the team returned with Gibbs as well, including offensive line coach/assistant head coach Joe Bugel, offensive coordinator Don Breaux, quarterbacks coach Jack Burns, and tight ends coach Rennie Simmons. Gibbs was able to lure former Buffalo Bills head coach Gregg Williams to join the Redskins to run the defense. Overall, many of his assistant and position coaches were either former head coaches and/or held top assistant coaching positions with other NFL teams.

Gibbs left his racing team in the hands of his eldest son, J. D., while his other son, Coy, joined him as an assistant with the Redskins.

In 2004, Gibbs had the worst season of his career with a 6-10 finish. Critics questioned whether he was ready to be back coaching after having sat out for a decade. The next year, in 2005, Gibbs coached his team to an impressive 3-0 start. However, by mid-season the Redskins had slipped to 5-6. Things looked bleak at that point, but Gibbs was able to rally his team to five straight victories, leading to a 10-6 record at the close of the season. This earned the Redskins their first playoff berth since 1999. In the wild-card playoff game, Gibbs led his team to a 17-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to whom the Redskins suffered a controversial 36-35 defeat earlier in the year. In the next round of the playoffs, however, the Redskins could not duplicate their early-season victory over the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks, and lost to the eventual NFC Champion by the score of 20-10. The 2006 season has been disappointing for Gibbs, having started 4-7 and placing near the bottom in the NFL in defense.

[edit] Family

Gibbs currently resides in Virginia with his wife Pat, but they make their permanent home in Charlotte, North Carolina. They have two children, J.D. and Coy.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Preceded by: Jack Pardee	Head coach of the Washington Redskins 1981–1992	Succeeded by: Richie Petitbon
Preceded by: Steve Spurrier	Head coach of the Washington Redskins 2004–current	Succeeded by: current coach

Washington Redskins/Boston Braves Head Coaches
Wray • Dietz • Casey • Flaherty • Bergman • DeGroot • Edwards • Whelchel • Ball • Todd • Lambeau • Kuharich • Nixon • McPeak • Graham • Lombardi • Austin • Allen • Pardee • Gibbs • Petitbon • Turner • Robiskie • Schottenheimer • Spurrier • Gibbs

Current National Football League head coaches
Belichick • Billick • Childress • Coughlin • Cowher • Crennel • Del Rio • Dungy • Edwards • Fisher • Fox • Gibbs • Green • Gruden • Holmgren • Jauron • Kubiak • Lewis • Linehan • Mangini • McCarthy • Marinelli • Mora • Nolan • Parcells • Payton • Reid • Saban • Schottenheimer • Shanahan • Shell • Smith

Joe Gibbs Racing
Nextel Cup Drivers	Denny Hamlin (#11) \| J. J. Yeley (#18) \| Tony Stewart (#20)
Driver development program Drivers	Aric Almirola, Marc Davis, Woody Howard, Joey Lagano
Partnerships and Affiliations	Spears Motorsports \| Hall of Fame Racing
Other	Joe Gibbs \| J.D. Gibbs

Persondata
NAME	Gibbs, Joe Jackson
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	American football coach and NASCAR Championship team owner
DATE OF BIRTH	November 25, 1940
PLACE OF BIRTH	Mocksville, North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH