Blast from the Past: Gibbs Takes Over in D.C.

Yahoo Sports ^ | 1/7/04

[leadpenny]

According to Sid Rosenburg, the Sports guy on the Imus in the Morning program, the Redskins are set to make an announcement today that the former Redskins Coach will be returning to be the new head coach.

Update:

Just a week after Steve Spurrier called it quits, the Washington Redskins have a new coach – their old one. Joe Gibbs agreed Wednesday to take charge of the struggling franchise. Gibbs coached the team from 1981-92, winning three Super Bowls along the way before resigning to pursue a career with his own NASCAR team. [link to source]

[leadpenny]

I've looked around the web and today's edition of the Washington Times and found nothing to confirm this story. Also did a search on FR.

Admin Moderator, I know this is sports and I'm not even a football fan, but this would be really big news if it happens. It would have major implications for NASCAR, imo.

[VMI70]

...and bring back Bobby Beathard as DPP. He and Gibbs were a great team.

[The G Man]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=surprisesurpris&prov=cnnsi&type=lgns

[leadpenny]

Thank you.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

I'll believe it when I see it. Gibbs seems rather happy doing the NASCAR thing, and I can't imagine him putting up with Steinbrenner Jr.

[CurlyBill]

There's an article here in the Washington Post about it this morning. It basically says that they are in discussions, but the fact that Gibbs is talking to them would lead me to believe that this will probably be a done deal very soon.

[leadpenny]

That was my thought. I always felt that he left because he couldn't stand the previous ego-maniac owner who's name escapes me at the moment.

[BlackRazor]

I've looked around the web and today's edition of the Washington Times and found nothing to confirm this story. Also did a search on FR.

This was a major topic of discussion on ESPN Radio this morning. Chris Mortensen has confirmed that the story "has legs", and mentioned that multiple reporters have told him the announcement may be imminent.

[holdmuhbeer]

that would be great, i could start pulling for the redskins again.

[leadpenny]

The WT has an earlier deadline, I believe, and their story was that Jimmy Johnson was being courted.

[leadpenny]

Ya know, it probably is a story on local DC TV also, but I just can't watch those clowns. Didn't know there WAS ESPN radio.

[billb]

The Redskins are the most valuable franchise and one of the most profitable in the NFL, even with their dismal record for last few years believe it or not. With that Snyder can put up enough money to make even Gibbs sit, heel and bark on command.

Go Iggles!

[cardinal4]

...and bring back Bobby Beathard as DPP. He and Gibbs were a great team.

Yep, just keep Charlie Casserly away. Ill never forgive him for Heath Shuler.

[LetsRok]

Gibbs will fail. He may have been a good coach 10 years ago, but the game of football has passed him by. The same thing happened to Chuch Noll in Pittsburgh. The game passed him by and he didn't leave until the he took the Steelers down with him.

[G.Mason]

Thanks for the post, and thanks for the steer G Man.

[glm]

Norv Turner wanted heath. Charlie wanted the QB that went to Tampa. I can't think of his name. A big guy that was more successful than Heath. I never liked Heath.

[jeterisagod]

I can't access it here at work, but the original story is on CBS Sports' website. They're reporting that he has already agreed to sign and that they will name former Bills' coach Gregg Williams as Defensive Coordinator.

[commish]

Actually Gibbs style of ball is the type that never goes out of style. THe problem might lie in the fact that the players attitudes are different, and he may have trouble "connecting" with them. But his style of play is the key to success with any team.

Everyone is enamored with the run around the field and throw wild passes everywhere quarterbacks these days, but look at most of the teams that have won the Super Bowl for the last 40 years. When you get down to it, Good solid running game, Strong Pocket Passer, smothering Defence. you put that on the field and you will win.

[JusPasenThru]

Great tagline.

As a die-hard Redskins fan, I hope the rumor bears true.

If I were Gibbs, I would have a "no-meddling" clause with Dan "yes I suck" Snyder.

[leadpenny]

Isn't there a Senate seat opening up in NC? He could walk into that.

[Hatteras]

"...he couldn't stand the previous ego-maniac owner who's name escapes me at the moment."

I believe you're thinking of Jack Kent Cooke who passed away and his son, John, then took the reigns. I don't think there ever was a major problem there.

The only problems I ever heard of were some players who held different religious beliefs were trying to make that an issue as to why they were not getting playing time. (i.e. Calvin Muhammed)

With that said, Gibbs is crazy to do it unless he has a sure-fire way to grab a number of top offensive linemen (How else could Mark Rypien have led a team to the Super Bowl?)

[Hatteras]

"Norv Turner wanted heath. Charlie wanted the QB that went to Tampa. I can't think of his name."

Trent Dilfer

[No Income Tax]

I never liked Heath.

Why? Was is due to the fact that Sonny Jurgensen blasted Heath from the beginning of his rookie year?

Heath should have stayed at UT for his senior year because he was not ready for the NFL. However, he was a warrior on the field and very personable off the field.

[jgrubbs]

I am a life long Redskins fan, I say there is no hope for the team till Dan Snyder takes a hike!

[CurlyBill]

There are now reports in Washington that this is a done deal. One report also has it that Gibbs has already selected Greg Williams as the Defensive Coordinator.

[MrConfettiMan]

They're reporting that he has already agreed to sign and that they will name former Bills' coach Gregg Williams as Defensive Coordinator.

Heard this on WBAL radio on the way to work this morning.

[Tricorn]

The Redskins better at least interview any of the following:

Dennis Green
Tim Lewis
Ray Rhodes

[sinkspur]

The Redskins are the most valuable franchise and one of the most profitable in the NFL, even with their dismal record for last few years believe it or not.

Sorry, both of those distinctions belong to the Dallas Cowboys.

[glm]

well maybe you are correct but I just never thought he had Pro abilities. He just did not seem to have the heart to win or at least stop worrying about what he was doing and just play. I judge quarterbacks by their 3rd down plays (and when the defense gets pressure on the QB). Any QB can play when otherwise. Trent had better stats when you looked at just those plays than Heath.

Redskins fan since 1966.

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

I will disagree here. Bill Parcells left the game for almost 4 years and has rescued the Cowboys from the mess Jerry Jones put them in. Dick Vermeil was gone for 15 years and then took the Rams to the Superbowl. He now has the Chiefs in the playoffs. Good coaches can still coach. Being a Cowboys fan I am kind of glad to see the Redskins actually have someone competent at the helm to bring back the rivalry. Hell even with Jerry Jones cast of misfits coaching the Cowboys we have still owned the Redskins. I think the tally is now up to 13 of the last 14 games my Cowboys have won. I guess that would make the Redskins the Cowboys bitch right now... (tongue in cheek)

[YourAdHere]

It is good news. And a year from now, we'll all be asking "why did Dan Snyder fire Joe Gibbs?"

[Dog Gone]

This seems so unlikely. Gibbs owns a NASCAR team with a budget of probably $30 million per year.

Going to work for Dan Snyder? It doesn't make sense.

[rabidralph]

Oh, please, let it be true.

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

You are absolutely correct. The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable NFL Franchise. Even being 5-11 for 3 years still didn't knock them off the top spot. With them winning again I am sure their value will grow even more over the league.

[rabidralph]

Jack Kent Cooke. Mr. Cooke was a great owner. He let everybody do their job and he didn't interfere in things he knew nothing about--unlike the current idiot-owner.

[Moose4]

I think they've already interviewed Green and maybe Rhodes as well.

I'd be ecstatic if this was true, but I have a hard time believing it. In an interview I saw last year, Gibbs seemed really happy to be doing the NASCAR team owner thing, and his wife and family were also quite happy that he wasn't putting in the insane hours required of an NFL coach. He was actually able to spend time with his wife, kids, and grandkids.

I'd be really shocked if the Skins found a way to get Gibbs out of retirement. Happy as a clam, mind you, but shocked.

}:-)4

[Hatteras]

From the Jayski's Web Site (NASCAR):

Gibbs back to the NFL?

UPDATE Looks like it: Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs could make a surprise return to the Washington Redskins. The Washington Post, citing sources with connections to Gibbs, reported late Tuesday on its Web site that Gibbs was in serious discussions about returning to the team that he led to three Super Bowl titles. The 63-year-old Gibbs coached the Redskins from 1981-92 before resigning to pursue a career with his own NASCAR team. He has been adamant over the years about not wanting to coach again, although he has retained NFL connections. He is currently a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. The Redskins are seeking a replacement for Steve Spurrier, who resigned last week. Calls to the Redskins and to Gibbs' racing team were not immediately returned. Gibbs' racing teams have been among the most successful in NASCAR with two Winston Cup championships in the last four seasons. #18-Bobby Labonte took the title in 2000 and #20-Tony Stewart in 2002.(CNNSI/AP)(1-7-2004)

UPDATE: The Washington Redskins [Go Eagles] expect to name Joe Gibbs their coach Wednesday, a source within the NFL told The Associated Press. The Hall of Fame coach has been negotiating a surprise return to the team he led to three Super Bowls, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. The source said the team hoped to complete the deal and make an announcement later Wednesday. The negotiations were first reported by The Washington Post and CBS Sportsline.com. Gibbs' oldest son, J.D., is president of Joe Gibbs Racing. The former coach's youngest son, Coy, finished 14th last season in the Busch Series standings [but is not racing in 2004 and is supposedly 'retired'.(ThatsRacin.com/AP), no word on how this effects the team, but Gibbs has his son's in place running most of the day-to-day operation already.(1-7-2004)

[Tricorn]

I hope the take Rhodes. ;) Ray Rhodes took a playoff team, the Eagles, and in a few short years turned them into one of the worst teams, literally, in decades.

His next stint was one year in Green Bay, where he took a perennial contender and turned them into a laughing stock (Favre single-handedly saved them from a 5-11 season).

But, despite this record, I think Rhodes will see LOTS of interviews this off-season.

[xzins]

Don't forget the Washington Senators. Let's bring them back, too. :>)

[smith288]

Was a man of a certain minority race at least interviewed????? THATS the question that needs answered.

This job was already handed to a southern "good ole boy"!!!!

</sarcasm>

[HenryLeeII]

The reason Joe Gibbs left in January '93 was burnout. He had developed migraine headaches, was tired of sleeping in his office several nights a week, and wanted to spend time with his sons before they were all grown up and left home. The owner he worked under was Jack Kent Cooke, who pretty much gave Gibbs and general manager Bobby Beathard free reign (and an open and very deep checkbook) to run the club. There were no real problems between them, the way that Norv Turner, Marty Schottenheimer, and Steve Spurrier have had with Dan Snyder.

However, Gibbs now has nothing left to prove in NASCAR, his sons are grown and married, and he probably figures that if Dick Vermeil and Bill Parcells can come back successfully, he could give it one more chance as well.

The effect on Snyder would be interesting because he knows that the fans will side with Gibbs in a heartbeat on any issue. Snyder will have to back off somewhat and let the professionals take over. However, what the media usually doesn't report is that Snyder is a very persuasive salesman when courting free agents, and is fairly innovative in working salary cap numbers. "Experts" have been saying for years that each year the team will hit the wall and have to start jettisoning players, but to this point that has never happened (Stephen Davis was let go primarily to let Spurrier mold the team to his liking, plus Davis wasn't willing to negotiate much off of his $11M cap hit for the '03 season, and cutting him allowed the Skins to sign WR Laveraneus Coles, G Randy Thomas, K John Hall, KR Chad Morton, etc.). So, with the right personnel man in the front office and Gibbs as the coach and Snyder as the salesman, this could work.

Hatteras, the Redskins have the makings of a very good offensive line in place. Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen are a very good pair of tackles, Randy Thomas is a good guard, and Derrick Dockery may turn out to be a fine guard as well (he was a rookie this season, so its hard to tell). Many of the hits the Redskins QB's took this year were as a result of blown blocking assignments by the RB's or TE's, not the OL, or just poor scheming on the part of Spurrier.

Owl, I have to say this comes as a shock. Nobody in the DC media saw this coming (if indeed it does come to fruition)!

[Dixiekraut]

"The game has passed him by..."

That's what they said about Vermeil when he re-emerged from his "burn-out".

No matter how you slice it...this is good news....Redskin fans have hope again...and even an ego-maniac like Snyder will have to defer to his wisdom...he's already enshrined in Canton.

If Gibbs can't save this franchise ...then nobody can.

[HenryLeeII]

As a lifelong Skins fan, I agree with you. Vermeil and Parcells still win, despite their retirements, and Gibbs can too, as long as the front office helps him land the talent and doesn't get in his way. The league needs good rivalries, and the Skins-Cowboys is right up there with the Bears-Packers as the best!

[Hatteras]

Redskins Name Graham New Head Coach

[Dog Gone]

Oh man, I didn't notice the date at first. LOL.

I thought THAT would be quite the comeback.

[Moose4]

I was talking with our office's resident Cowboy fan and he was as shocked as I am. We agreed it'd be pretty darn good for the rivalry, though.

The thing I'll be interested to see is how Gibbs handles the 21st-century NFL player. The Skins teams in the '80s were choirboys (Timmy Smith excepted) compared to nowadays. Granted, they liked to party, and the players were fixtures at local clubs and bars, but we never heard about Redskins players at double murders, blowing away their pregnant girlfriends, dealing drugs, beating the crap out of each other in practice, pulling Sharpies out of their socks, etc.

I guess having good guys like Art Monk, Monte Coleman, Darrell Green, etc., on the team helped keep some of the other guys straight.

DC is probably having a giant collective orgasm right now. It's hard for anybody who's never lived there to understand just how the Redskins and Gibbs are worshipped in that town. Sports up there is Redskins 24/7/365...the Crapitals and the Bullets--er, Wizards--are an afterthought. :)

}:-)4

[Major_Risktaker]

The problem might lie in the fact that the players attitudes are different, and he may have trouble "connecting" with them.

The players today is one of many reasons Joe Gibbs will never comeback to football. The players of todays game is the reason my Sunday's have been football free now for 5 years. As far as the Superbowl, I like capitalism at it's best and watch the commercials.

______________________

If I were Gibbs, I would have a "no-meddling" clause with Dan "yes I suck" Snyder.

The only way Snyder bought the team was to sell Jack Kent Cooke name off the stadium to Federal Express for $200 million dollars. That amount was the difference in the John Cooke bid for the team.

To me it will always be Jack Kent Cooke Stadium and a Snyder Redskin owned team will never win a super bowl because of Dan Synder's corruption and greed business dealings. Snyder now has a ghost to deal with like Chicago Cubs and Boston Redsox forever.

[7thson]

Heath Shuler was a Norv Turner pick. He badgered Casserly into picking him.

[7thson]

Two words - Dick Vermial. Took the Rams to the SuperBowl. Got the Chiefs back in the playoffs and possibly to the SuperBowl. Gibbs will succeed because if you do not produce for him you are gone!

[Dante3]

Brad Johnson -- he won in the Superbowl