Gary Moeller
Encyclopedia
Gary O. Moeller is an American football
coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan
from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 for a winning percentage of .758. In Big Ten Conference
play, his teams won 30 games, lost 8 and tied 2 for a winning percentage of .775, and won or shared conference titles in 1990, 1991 and 1992.
Moeller resigned in May 1995 after tapes were released of his alleged drunken outburst following an arrest on a charge of disorderly conduct at the now-defunct Excalibur restaurant in Southfield, Michigan
on April 28. He was succeeded by Lloyd Carr
, who had assisted him at both Illinois and Michigan. Both Moeller and Carr served under UM coach Bo Schembechler
from 1980 to 1989.
, playing primarily at linebacker under head coach Woody Hayes
. He served as team co-captain in his senior year, along with offensive tackle Bob Vogel
.
After graduation in 1963, Moeller coached in the high school levels for several years before joining Bo Schembechler
at Miami University
. He moved with Schembechler to Michigan in 1969, where he served as defensive ends coach until 1973, when he was promoted to defensive coordinator
. Schembechler had also been an assistant coach at Ohio State when Moeller was a player, and both were members of the FWAA 1961 National Championship team
.
Moeller was head coach of the University of Illinois
from 1977 to 1979. He rejoined the Wolverines as quarterbacks coach for a season in 1981. Moeller has the rare distinction of serving as both an offensive (1987–1990) and defensive (1974–1976, 1982–1987) coordinator during his time at Michigan. He coached the Wolverines to a victory over Alabama
in the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl
, while Schembechler recovered from heart surgery. Individual Michigan players to win national honors under Moeller include Desmond Howard
, winner of the Heisman Trophy
and other awards in 1991. Erick Anderson
won the Dick Butkus Award
in 1991.
After Michigan, Moeller was hired in June 1995 by the Cincinnati Bengals
as tight ends coach under head coach David Shula and spent two seasons there. In 1997, he joined the Detroit Lions
as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach under new head coach Bobby Ross
. In 2000, Moeller was named head coach following Ross's sudden resignation nine games into the season. He was given a contract for the remainder of the season and two additional years by owner William Clay Ford, Sr.
, a move that seemingly guaranteed a future with the team. After the team narrowly missed the playoffs (losing their final game on a last-second 54 yard field goal
), ownership endorsed Moeller as the Lions head coach for the foreseeable future. However, he was eventually fired by new team president Matt Millen
in early 2001 and replaced by Marty Mornhinweg
. Moeller finished with a 4–3 record as head coach, making him the only Lions head coach since Joe Schmidt
(who resigned after the 1972 season) to post a winning record during his tenure.
In 2001, Moeller joined the Jacksonville Jaguars
as defensive coordinator under head coach Tom Coughlin
. He voluntarily stepped down from that position after one season, signing a three-year contract with the Chicago Bears
as linebackers coach under head coach Dick Jauron
. He served in that role for two seasons, leaving when Jauron was fired after the 2003 season.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 for a winning percentage of .758. In Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
play, his teams won 30 games, lost 8 and tied 2 for a winning percentage of .775, and won or shared conference titles in 1990, 1991 and 1992.
Moeller resigned in May 1995 after tapes were released of his alleged drunken outburst following an arrest on a charge of disorderly conduct at the now-defunct Excalibur restaurant in Southfield, Michigan
Southfield, Michigan
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.04% is water. The main branch of the River Rouge runs through Southfield. The city is bounded to the south by Eight Mile Road, its western border is Inkster Road, and to the east it is bounded by Greenfield Road...
on April 28. He was succeeded by Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
, who had assisted him at both Illinois and Michigan. Both Moeller and Carr served under UM coach Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
from 1980 to 1989.
Biography
Moeller was a three-year letterwinner at Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, playing primarily at linebacker under head coach Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
. He served as team co-captain in his senior year, along with offensive tackle Bob Vogel
Bob Vogel
Robert Louis Vogel is a former professional American football offensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1972. During that span he appeared in Super Bowl III and Super Bowl V for the Colts and was selected for the Pro Bowl five times. He played college football at Ohio State...
.
After graduation in 1963, Moeller coached in the high school levels for several years before joining Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
at Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
. He moved with Schembechler to Michigan in 1969, where he served as defensive ends coach until 1973, when he was promoted to defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. Schembechler had also been an assistant coach at Ohio State when Moeller was a player, and both were members of the FWAA 1961 National Championship team
1961 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1961 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1961-1962. The Buckeyes compiled a 8–0–1 record.-Schedule:-1962 Pro draftees:-References:Win/Loss statistics*...
.
Moeller was head coach of the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
from 1977 to 1979. He rejoined the Wolverines as quarterbacks coach for a season in 1981. Moeller has the rare distinction of serving as both an offensive (1987–1990) and defensive (1974–1976, 1982–1987) coordinator during his time at Michigan. He coached the Wolverines to a victory over Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl
1988 Hall of Fame Bowl
The 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl, part of the 1987 bowl game season, took place on January 2, 1988, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference...
, while Schembechler recovered from heart surgery. Individual Michigan players to win national honors under Moeller include Desmond Howard
Desmond Howard
Desmond Kevin Howard is a former NFL wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.He played football for the University of Michigan from 1989–1991 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991...
, winner of the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
and other awards in 1991. Erick Anderson
Erick Anderson
Erick Scott Anderson is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Michigan. He won the Butkus Award in 1991.-College career:...
won the Dick Butkus Award
Dick Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football...
in 1991.
After Michigan, Moeller was hired in June 1995 by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
as tight ends coach under head coach David Shula and spent two seasons there. In 1997, he joined the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach under new head coach Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
. In 2000, Moeller was named head coach following Ross's sudden resignation nine games into the season. He was given a contract for the remainder of the season and two additional years by owner William Clay Ford, Sr.
William Clay Ford, Sr.
William Clay Ford, Sr. is the youngest of the four children of Edsel Ford and the youngest grandchild of Henry Ford.-Biography:...
, a move that seemingly guaranteed a future with the team. After the team narrowly missed the playoffs (losing their final game on a last-second 54 yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
), ownership endorsed Moeller as the Lions head coach for the foreseeable future. However, he was eventually fired by new team president Matt Millen
Matt Millen
Matthew George "Matt" Millen is an American former National Football League linebacker and a former executive. Millen played for the Oakland Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins. In Millen's 12-year NFL playing career, he played on four Super Bowl-winning teams...
in early 2001 and replaced by Marty Mornhinweg
Marty Mornhinweg
Marty Mornhinweg is the offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, having joined the Eagles in 2003 as the assistant head coach. He was named offensive coordinator on January 6, 2006, after the Eagles previous offensive coordinator Brad Childress was hired as the head coach of the...
. Moeller finished with a 4–3 record as head coach, making him the only Lions head coach since Joe Schmidt
Joe Schmidt
Joseph Paul Schmidt is a former American football player and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. His 13-year career with the National Football League's Detroit Lions gained him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.-Collegiate career:Schmidt grew up in Pittsburgh,...
(who resigned after the 1972 season) to post a winning record during his tenure.
In 2001, Moeller joined the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as defensive coordinator under head coach Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
. He voluntarily stepped down from that position after one season, signing a three-year contract with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as linebackers coach under head coach Dick Jauron
Dick Jauron
Richard Manuel Jauron is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and, on an interim basis, with the...
. He served in that role for two seasons, leaving when Jauron was fired after the 2003 season.
College
NFL
| Team | |Regular Season | DET Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
2000 2000 NFL season The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000... |
4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | 3rd in NFC Central | 0 | 0 | .000 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions' Total | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | 0 | 0 | .000 | – | ||||
| Total | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | 0 | 0 | .000 | – | ||||