Joe Gibbs
Encyclopedia
Joe Jackson Gibbs is a former American football
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, NASCAR Championship team owner, and two time NHRA Pro Stock
Pro Stock
Pro Stock Drag Racing is a class of drag racing featuring 'Factory Hot-Rods'. The class can be known as "all motor," as the cars cannot use artificial induction such as turbocharging, supercharging, or nitrous oxide, and there are very strict rules governing the modifications allowed to the...

 team owner. He was the 20th and 26th head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 in the history of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

 (1981–1992, 2004–2007). Well known for his long hours and work ethic, Gibbs constructed what Steve Sabol has called, "The most diverse dynasty in NFL history," building championship teams with many players who have had mediocre to average careers while playing for other NFL teams. During his first stint in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

, he coached the Redskins for 12 seasons and led them to eight playoff appearances, four NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

 titles.

After retiring at the end of the 1992 season, he switched focus to his NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 team, Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son...

, which has won three championships under his ownership, one with former driver Bobby Labonte
Bobby Labonte
Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife...

 and two with Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

. 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. On January 8, 2008, Gibbs resigned as Redskins' head coach and team president. Overall, during his 16 years with the team, Gibbs had only three losing seasons and led the team to 10 playoff appearances. He remains with the organization as "Special Advisor" to the team owner Daniel Snyder
Daniel Snyder
Daniel M. Snyder is the current owner of the Washington Redskins American football team, owner of the Dick Clark Productions television production company, and primary investor in Red Zebra Broadcasting, which is home to the Redskins Radio Network. Snyder has a net worth of $1.05 billion...

.

Early career

Born in Mocksville, North Carolina
Mocksville, North Carolina
Mocksville is a town in Davie County, North Carolina, USA. The population was 4,178 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Davie County.-Geography:Mocksville is located at ....

, Joe graduated from Santa Fe High School, Santa Fe Springs, California
Santa Fe Springs, California
Santa Fe Springs is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. The population was 16,223 at the 2010 census, down from 17,438 at the 2000 census....

, in 1959 where he was the star quarterback. Gibbs attended Cerritos Junior College
Cerritos College
Cerritos College is a public comprehensive community college founded in 1955 located in Norwalk, California. It was named after Rancho Los Cerritos, a ranch that served prominently in the region in the 19th century...

 and then San Diego State University (SDSU)
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...

, coached by Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...

. Gibbs graduated from SDSU in 1964 and earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 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
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...

 (1967–1968) before serving under John McKay
John McKay (football coach)
John Harvey McKay was an American football player and coach. He was served as the head coach at the University of Southern California from 1960 to 1975 and of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976 to 1984. In 16 seasons with the USC Trojans, McKay compiled a record of 127–40–8 and...

 at Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

 (1969–1970) and Frank Broyles
Frank Broyles
John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach the University of Missouri in 1957 and at the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976...

 at Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...

 (1971–1972). Gibbs then rose up to the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

, hired as the offensive backfield coach for the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 (1973–1977) by head coach Don Coryell. After a season as offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

 (1978) under McKay, Gibbs rejoined Coryell with the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 (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
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...

 set multiple offensive records during Gibbs' two seasons there. Remarkably, the Chargers averaged more than 400 yards of offense per game during their 1980 season. After 17 years of coaching as an assistant, in 1981 Gibbs was offered a job as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

 by Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke was a Canadian entrepreneur and former owner of the Washington Redskins , the Los Angeles Lakers , and the Los Angeles Kings , and built The Forum in Inglewood, California and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.-Early career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Cooke moved with his family to...

.

First stint with Redskins (1981–1992)

After firing then-head coach Jack Pardee
Jack Pardee
-NFL:-External links:...

, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke was a Canadian entrepreneur and former owner of the Washington Redskins , the Los Angeles Lakers , and the Los Angeles Kings , and built The Forum in Inglewood, California and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.-Early career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Cooke moved with his family to...

 was on the lookout for candidates. When general manager Bobby Beathard
Bobby Beathard
Bobby Beathard is a former general manager in the National Football League. Over the course of his 38 years in the NFL, his teams competed in seven Super Bowls , beginning with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1966, Miami Dolphins in 1972 and 1973, Washington Redskins in 1982, 1983, and 1987, and the San...

 pointed out the forty-year-old San Diego assistant coach, Cooke saw potential in Gibbs and hired him.

Gibbs' first season with the Redskins started inauspiciously when the team lost their first five games. 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
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...

 and a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

 victory. In a strike-shortened season, the team advanced through the playoffs and eventually won Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game played on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the strike-shortened 1982 regular season...

 by beating the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 27–17, taking revenge for Washington's loss to Miami in Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...

.

The following season (1983), Gibbs' surprising success continued with a 14–2 regular season record and a win against the Los Angeles Rams 51–7 at home, in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Redskins then once again won an NFC Championship, defeating the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...

 24–21 on a last-second 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...

 (aided by a controversial pass interference call), advancing to Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...

. The Redskins were an overwhelming favorite going into the game, but were soundly defeated by the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 38–9. Some call this Redskins team one of the better teams to not win the Super Bowl.

The 1984 Redskins won the NFC East with an 11–5 record and hosted a home playoff game against 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...

 but lost 23–19.

Gibbs coached the 1985 Redskins to a 10–6 regular season record, but barely missed the playoffs. During the season Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...

 broke his leg during a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...

 game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

, but the Redskins still won the game with Jay Schroeder
Jay Schroeder
Jay Brian Schroeder is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins , Los Angeles Raiders , Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals .He attended Palisades High School and was a high school football teammate of actor...

 at quarterback.

In 1986, Gibbs coached the team to a 12–4 regular season record and defeated the Los Angeles Rams 19–7 in the wild card playoffs, then upset the defending champion 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...

 27–13 in the divisional round, on the road, to get back to the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

. The Giants would win 17–0. It was to be Gibbs' only NFC championship game loss.

The 1987 Redskins made the playoffs and again defeated 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...

 21–17 on the road in the divisional round, then beat the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

 17–10 at home in the NFC Championship Game, then at Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...

, they rode on the arm of quarterback Doug Williams
Doug Williams (football player)
Douglas Lee "Doug" Williams is a former American football quarterback and head football coach of the Grambling State University Tigers...

 to blow out the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 42–10.

Four years later, the Redskins won their first 11 games before finishing the season 14–2, and cruised through the playoffs with home victories over the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 (24–7) and 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...

 (41–10). In Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...

, the Redskins were up 24–0 on the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 just sixteen seconds into the third quarter, and 37–10 with over eleven minutes to go when Gibbs pulled most of his starters. The Bills would score two cosmetic touchdowns for a final score of 37–24. The victory gave Gibbs and the team their third Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

 title.

The following year, Gibbs returned for the 1992 regular season to attempt to defend the Redskins' Super Bowl crown from the previous year. The Redskins would finish with a lesser record at 9–7 and 3rd place in the NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....

. They needed a bit of help to make the playoffs and they got it after a loss by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...

 allowed them into the playoffs as the last Wild Card entry. In the Wild Card round, the Redskins defeated the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...

 on the road, by the score of 24–7, however they would fall in the Divisional Round to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...

 in a road game by the score of 20–13, ending the Redskins' hopes of retaining their Super Bowl crown. Two months after Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...

, 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. From 1994 to 1997 Gibbs served as a color analyst on NBC Sports
NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...

' NFL pregame show
The NFL on NBC Pregame Show
The NBC television network's pregame/studio coverage for their National Football League coverage has had a rather inconsistent history in comparison to The NFL Today on CBS and Fox NFL Sunday on the Fox Broadcasting Company...

.

In 1996, Gibbs was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

. 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
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...

 and John Madden). In his 12 seasons, the Redskins won 4 NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....

 titles, reached the playoffs 8 times, and finished with a losing record only one season (7–9 in 1988). Gibbs is also the only NFL coach to ever win three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks and three different starting running backs.

Style of play

Although Gibbs helped craft a passing-oriented attack during his time in San Diego, his Redskins teams were known to incorporate a smash-mouth, rushing-oriented attack like the counter trey
Counter trey
The counter trey is a misdirection running play used in American football. The counter trey is a type of counter run.This play is designed for the offensive team to feign rushing one way, then attack the defense in the opposite direction...

. By building a strong offensive line (known as "The Hogs
The Hogs (American football)
The Hogs was the nickname for the offensive line of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League during the 1980s and early 1990s. Renowned for their ability to control the line of scrimmage, the Hogs helped the Redskins win three Super Bowl championships under head coach Joe Gibbs...

") Gibbs was able to control the line of scrimmage, allowing workhorse running backs such as John Riggins
John Riggins
Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "The Diesel", is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992....

, George Rogers
George Rogers (American football)
George Washington Rogers is a former American football player who achieved distinction in both the college and professional ranks as a running back...

, and Earnest Byner
Earnest Byner
Earnest Alexander Byner is a former American football running back in the National Football League and is currently a running backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars...

 to power the ground game. Gibbs added a deep passing attack to this which complemented the ground game, utilizing agile receivers such as Art Monk
Art Monk
James Arthur "Art" Monk is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New York Jets, and the Philadelphia Eagles...

, Gary Clark
Gary Clark
Gary C. Clark is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins , Phoenix Cardinals and Miami Dolphins .-Early life:...

, and Ricky Sanders
Ricky Sanders
Ricky Wayne Sanders is a former American football wide receiver who played for eight seasons with the Washington Redskins and one for the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League from 1986 to 1994...

. Gibbs' offense was aided during his tenure by aggressive defensive units under the direction of defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon
Richie Petitbon
Richard Alvin Petitbon is a former American football safety and head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League...

.

Gibbs' system and offensive scheme were robust enough to be successful without a Hall-of-Fame-caliber quarterback at the helm. The Redskins' Super Bowl victories were won featuring Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...

, Doug Williams
Doug Williams (football player)
Douglas Lee "Doug" Williams is a former American football quarterback and head football coach of the Grambling State University Tigers...

, and Mark Rypien
Mark Rypien
Mark Robert Rypien is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL.-Biography:...

—capable players who were very successful along with their strong supporting cast.

Gibbs is credited with inventing the single back, double or triple tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...

 set. He used it to neutralize Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...

, realizing that to successfully block him with a running back was impossible; an extra tight end and a tackle were required as well. The extra tight end provided additional protection for the quarterback. Gibbs was also credited for creating the Trips formation
Trips formation
A trips formation is an offensive football formation, initially used by Joe Gibbs, in which three receivers line up on the same side of the field. The side is usually specified by the quarterback calling "Trips right" or "Trips left" when he calls the play in the huddle.There are multiple...

; stacking three wide receivers to one side. Gibbs incorporated the shifting and motions for which his offenses were known. The formations created mismatches and confusion for the opposing defenses that would then be exploited. He is also one of few coaches that utilized the H-back
H-back
An H-Back is an offensive position in American football, and is also known as power back. The position is a hybrid of a fullback and a tight end. The position was made notable in the NFL by the Washington Redskins under head coach Joe Gibbs who ran a two tight end system...

 position prominently in his offense.

NASCAR career (1992–present)

Gibbs created his NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

 team, Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son...

 in 1992, a year before he first retired from the NFL. The first driver for his team was Dale Jarrett
Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...

 (1992–1994), with the sponsor Interstate Batteries
Interstate Batteries
Interstate Battery System of America, Inc., a.k.a. Interstate Batteries, is a privately owned company that markets automotive batteries manufactured by Johnson Controls through independent distributors to more than 200,000 automotive shops worldwide. The company is based in Dallas, Texas...

, and the number 18. His son, J. D. Gibbs, is now the president of Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son...

 and oversees daily operations of each of the teams since his father's return to the NFL.

Interstate Batteries Car #18

  • Dale Jarrett
    Dale Jarrett
    Dale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...

     (1992–1994)
  • Bobby Labonte
    Bobby Labonte
    Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife...

     (1995–2005)
  • J. J. Yeley
    J. J. Yeley
    Christopher Beltram Hernandez Yeley is a NASCAR driver. Nicknamed "J. J." , he is currently a competitor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving for Front Row Motorsports.-Open wheel:Yeley initially made a mark for himself in the world of auto racing when he took the Hoosier state by...

     (2006–2007)
  • Kyle Busch
    Kyle Busch
    Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...

     (2008–present) (Interstate Batteries is now a part time sponsor with M&M's
    M&M's
    M&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...

    )

NHRA

Beginning in 1995, Gibbs fielded three cars in the NHRA, one, in each professional category:
  • the Funny Car, driven by Cruz Pedregon
    Cruz Pedregon
    Cruz Pedregon is a 2-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California. He is the brother of Tony Pedregon also a two-time Funny Car Champion.-Early Days:...

  • the Top Fuel dragster, driven by Cory McClenethan
  • the Pro Stock Firebird, driven by Jim Yates

Yates would bring home an NHRA championship in 1996, followed by another in 1997. Mcdonald was the primary sponsor on all three cars.

NASCAR championships

  • 2000 - Bobby Labonte
    Bobby Labonte
    Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife...

    , #18 Interstate Batteries
    Interstate Batteries
    Interstate Battery System of America, Inc., a.k.a. Interstate Batteries, is a privately owned company that markets automotive batteries manufactured by Johnson Controls through independent distributors to more than 200,000 automotive shops worldwide. The company is based in Dallas, Texas...

     Pontiac
    Pontiac
    Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...

    , Winston Cup, now the Sprint Cup
  • 2002 - Tony Stewart
    Tony Stewart
    Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

    , #20 Home Depot Pontiac
    Pontiac
    Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...

    , Winston Cup, now the Sprint Cup
  • 2005 - Tony Stewart
    Tony Stewart
    Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

    , #20 Home Depot Chevrolet
    Chevrolet
    Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

    , NEXTEL Cup, now the Sprint Cup
  • 2007 - Joey Logano
    Joey Logano
    Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano , nicknamed "sliced bread" by Randy LaJoie, is an American stock car auto racing race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs...

    , #20 Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil Chevrolet
    Chevrolet
    Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...

    , Busch East Series, now the Camping World East Series
  • 2009
    2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series
    The 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series began on February 14, 2009 at Daytona International Speedway with the Camping World 300. The season concluded on November 21, 2009 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 300. With 25 top-five finishes, Kyle Busch was the season champion...

     - Kyle Busch
    Kyle Busch
    Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...

    , #18 Z-Line
    Z-line
    Z-line can refer to:*the borders that separate and link sarcomeres within a muscle*a ban on a user's IP address for the purposes of blocking their access to Internet Relay Chat. See Z-line....

     Toyota, Nationwide Series

Scope

  • NASCAR
    NASCAR
    The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...

    :
    • Sprint Cup
    • Nationwide Series
    • Camping World East Series
    • two Late Model racing teams.

Sprint Cup teams

  • #20 Joey Logano
    Joey Logano
    Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano , nicknamed "sliced bread" by Randy LaJoie, is an American stock car auto racing race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs...

  • #18 Kyle Busch
    Kyle Busch
    Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...

  • #11 Denny Hamlin
    Denny Hamlin
    James Dennis Alan "Denny" Hamlin is an American race car driver. Though originally born in Tampa, Florida, Hamlin was raised for most of his life in Chesterfield, Virginia. After racing in go-karts for a number of years, he worked his way up to Late Models by 2004 and signed a development contract...

  • a part-time #80 team with Jeff Fuller.

Nationwide Series teams

  • #18 Kyle Busch
    Kyle Busch
    Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...

     (part time)
  • #18 Michael McDowell
    Michael McDowell
    Michael McDowell is a Senior Counsel in the Bar Council of Ireland and a former politician. A grandson of Irish revolutionary Eoin MacNeill, McDowell was a founding member of the Progressive Democrats political party in the mid-1980s...

     (part time)
  • #11 Brian Scott
    Brian Scott
    Brian Joseph Scott is an American race car driver. He currently drives the #11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.-Beginnings:...

  • #20 Joey Logano
    Joey Logano
    Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano , nicknamed "sliced bread" by Randy LaJoie, is an American stock car auto racing race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs...

     (part time)
  • #20 Denny Hamlin
    Denny Hamlin
    James Dennis Alan "Denny" Hamlin is an American race car driver. Though originally born in Tampa, Florida, Hamlin was raised for most of his life in Chesterfield, Virginia. After racing in go-karts for a number of years, he worked his way up to Late Models by 2004 and signed a development contract...

     (part time)
  • #20 Ryan Truex
    Ryan Truex
    Ryan Truex is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Nationwide Series.-Early Racing Career:...

     (part time)
  • #18/#20 Drew Herring (part time).

Championships

Three NASCAR Championships, starting in:
  • 2000-Bobby Labonte
  • 2002 and 2005-Tony Stewart.

2006

  • Denny Hamlin, a rookie
    Rookie
    Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...

    , won the Pocono 500
    Pocono 500
    The 5-hour Energy 500 is the first of two stock car races held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in mid-June, the other being the Pennsylvania 500, usually held in early August. The Pocono 500 replaced a 400-mile race at Texas World Speedway on...

     (his first win) and Pennsylvania 500
    Pennsylvania 500
    The Good Sam RV Insurance 500 is the second of two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car races held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the other being the Pocono 500...

    , sweeping both NASCAR races at Pocono. Hamlin was also one of the 10 drivers qualified for the 10 race Chase for the NEXTEL Cup
    Chase for the Nextel Cup
    The Chase for the Sprint Cup, originally known as "The Chase for the Championship" during its creation, and then "The Chase for the Nextel Cup" is the championship system used in NASCAR's top division, the Sprint Cup Series, akin to the postseason in American professional sports leagues...

    .
  • Hamlin would go on to finish 3rd in points in 2006.
  • Stewart, who did not make the Chase, finished 11th in points, winning three of the Chase races.

2007

Gibbs continued to field three full time cars in the NEXTEL Cup, driven by:
  • Denny Hamlin
  • Tony Stewart
  • J.J. Yeley.


Aric Almirola made his NEXTEL Cup debut in the #80 Car in Las Vegas. In the Busch series, there are two cars, with driving duties split among Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, Brad Coleman, Kevin Conway and Tony Stewart. As of August 2007, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin are both in the 2007 Chase, with Stewart winning at Chicago, Indianapolis and Watkins Glen and Hamlin winning at New Hampshire. The 2007 season ended with Stewart in 6th place, Hamlin in 12th and Yeley in 21st in the overall standings.

Second stint with Redskins (2004–2008)

Throughout his retirement, many NFL owners approached Gibbs 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
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...

 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. 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
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 from owner Arthur Blank
Arthur Blank
Arthur M. Blank is an American businessman and a co-founder of The Home Depot. Today he is known for his philanthropy and his ownership of the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League.-Early life:...

 for $27 million. It wasn't until late 2003 when Gibbs really started to catch the football fever again. Arthur Blank and his general manager, Rich McKay
Rich McKay
Rich McKay is the president, CEO, and former general manager of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they won Super Bowl XXXVII.-Early years:...

 moved quickly to interview him for the Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

's vacant head coaching position due to the firing of Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...

. However when Gibbs found out that Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...

 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.

It is well documented that Daniel Snyder
Daniel Snyder
Daniel M. Snyder is the current owner of the Washington Redskins American football team, owner of the Dick Clark Productions television production company, and primary investor in Red Zebra Broadcasting, which is home to the Redskins Radio Network. Snyder has a net worth of $1.05 billion...

 had been turned down by Gibbs several times before. On December 31, 2003, Snyder's private plane (Redskin One) was spotted at an airport outside of Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

. 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. During his January 7 press conference, a visibly emotional Snyder welcomed him back. Gibbs then 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
Joe Bugel
Joseph John 'Buges' Bugel was the Offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1989 and from 2004 to 2009...

, offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

 Don Breaux
Don Breaux
Donald Carl Breaux is a former collegiate and Professional Football player at McNeese State and in the American Football League and former Offensive Coordinator for the NFL Washington Redskins. It was his second stint under head coach Joe Gibbs and with the team.-Playing career:Breaux attended...

, quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

s coach Jack Burns
Jack Burns (football coach)
Jack Burns is the former Offensive Assistant Coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He has held many different coaching positions with Washington including Wide receivers coach and Quarterbacks coach...

, and tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...

s coach Rennie Simmons. Gibbs was able to lure former Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 head coach Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams
Gregg Williams is the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints and the former head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Considered one of the most respected defensive minds in the game, Williams is known for running aggressive, attacking 4-3 schemes that put heavy pressure on opposing...

 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.

2004 season

In 2004, Gibbs had what was, up to that point, the worst season of his career with a 6-10 finish. However, the team did finish the season on a high note with a 21-18 victory over playoff-bound Minnesota. The defense also finished the season ranked third in yards allowed.

2005 season

Hoping to improve on the previous season's dismal passing attack, Gibbs added former 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...

 offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave
Bill Musgrave
William Scott Musgrave is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-Playing career:...

 as his quarterbacks coach. Having coached new Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....

 when they both were in Jacksonville
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...

, they easily formed a rapport. Musgrave's input allowed the Redskins add a few new wrinkles to their playbook. For the first time under Gibbs, the Redskins offense utilized the shotgun formation
Shotgun formation
The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used mainly for passing plays, although some teams use it as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage,...

.

In the wild-card playoff game, Gibbs led his team to a 17–10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...

, to whom the Redskins suffered a 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
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

-bound Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

, and lost to the eventual NFC Champion by the score of 20–10.

2006 season

During the 2006 off season, Gibbs hired Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

' offensive coordinator Al Saunders
Al Saunders
Al Saunders is the current offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders.-Early life and playing career:Born in London, England, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1960, and is one of four foreign-born coaches in the NFL...

 to be Associate Head Coach - Offense
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...

 for the Redskins. Saunders came from a similar background as Gibbs, as both learned under Don Coryell
Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell was an American football coach, who coached in the NFL first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973–1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978-1986. He was well known for his innovations to football's passing offense. Coryell's offense was commonly known as "Air Coryell"...

. Saunders experienced great success at the helm of the Chiefs' offense and took over for Gibbs as the team's primary play-caller upon joining the Redskins. This allowed Gibbs to focus more on his role as Head Coach and CEO and devote more time to personnel matters, defense, and special teams. Gibbs also added former Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 defensive coordinator Jerry Gray
Jerry Gray
Jerry Don Gray is a former American Football cornerback who played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1985 to 1991, the Houston Oilers in 1992, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993. He is currently the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans.-Playing career:Jerry Gray was a two-time All American...

 to his staff as Secondary/Cornerbacks Coach. However, Gibbs did lose quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave
Bill Musgrave
William Scott Musgrave is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-Playing career:...

 to the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 over the summer of 2006.

The 2006 season was disappointing for Gibbs. The Redskins finished 5–11, the team's worst regular season record under Gibbs' leadership thus far, and placed near the bottom in the NFL in defense. On the bright side, though the '06 Redskins boasted the league's 4th best rushing offense despite losing starting tailback Clinton Portis
Clinton Portis
Clinton Earl Portis is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...

 to injury and saw continued improvement from young starter Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

, who capped off 2006 with a strong performance against the Giants, in which he posted a QB rating of 96.2.

2007 season

The Redskins qualified for the playoffs in 2007, for the second time in 3 years, following the completion of a 9–7 regular season. They advanced as the sixth-seeded team in the NFC, and were defeated by the NFC West Division champions Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

 in the first round of the playoffs.

The team suffered a notable tragedy when star safety Sean Taylor was murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...

ed in his home the night after game eleven. Shot during a burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...

 attempt during the early hours of Monday, November 26, 2007, Taylor died the following day. Taylor's funeral was held on Monday, December 3, 2007, between games 12 against Buffalo
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

 (Sunday, December 2) and 13 against Chicago
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...

 (Thursday, December 6).

The Redskins concluded the season with four straight victories. Prior to the run, the Skins were 5–7 and, in addition to suffering through the Taylor tragedy, the team had lost starting OG Randy Thomas
Randy Thomas (American football)
Randy Thomas is an American football guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...

, OT Jon Jansen
Jon Jansen
Jonathan Ward Jansen is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft...

, CB Carlos Rogers, OLB Rocky McIntosh
Rocky McIntosh
Roger A. "Rocky" McIntosh is an American football linebacker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early life:...

, and QB Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...

 to injury. Despite all this, Gibbs led Washington to the playoffs. In what has been referred to as Gibbs' finest month of coaching ever, many players credited Gibbs' will, leadership and inspiration to guide the team on their late season winning streak.

Second retirement

Gibbs retired as head coach and president effective January 8, 2008 after completing four years of his five year contract. His retirement came three days after a first round playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

, which concluded the 2007–2008 season. The last game he coached at Fedex Field in Washington was on December 30, 2007; the Redskins had a key victory over the Dallas Cowboys to send Joe Gibbs and the Redskins to the playoffs. He will remain with the team as an adviser to team owner Daniel Snyder
Daniel Snyder
Daniel M. Snyder is the current owner of the Washington Redskins American football team, owner of the Dick Clark Productions television production company, and primary investor in Red Zebra Broadcasting, which is home to the Redskins Radio Network. Snyder has a net worth of $1.05 billion...

. During Gibbs' four-year return to the Redskins, the team qualified for the playoffs twice. He was succeeded as head coach by Jim Zorn
Jim Zorn
James Arthur "Jim" Zorn is an American quarterbacks coach in the National Football League. He was formerly the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens and now holds that same position with the Kansas City Chiefs...

.

Starting the "classic" Redskins look

When Joe Gibbs was the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers under Don Coryell in 1979 & 1980, Coryell would have the Chargers wear white uniforms for home games in San Diego. So, during both of his stints as Washington's head coach, Gibbs started the tradition of having the Redskins wear white uniforms over burgundy pants for all their home games. The Redskins also sported white over burgundy on the road whenever the opposing home team decided to wear dark colored jerseys. This uniform combination is considered to be the team's "classic" look. His teams almost exclusively wore their burgundy uniforms over white pants for road games at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...

 against their archrivals, the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

. The Cowboys, like the Redskins, primarily wore their white uniforms for their home games. The only time Washington wore the white over burgundy combo at a road game in Texas Stadium during Gibbs' tenure was in 2005. That year, the Redskins recorded a 14-13 victory over the Cowboys, who were wearing their blue throwback uniforms. However, in all of Gibbs' 16 seasons as coach of the Redskins, the team never wore the burgundy uniform combo at home.

Head coaching record

Team |Regular Season WAS
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...

8 8 0 .500 4th in NFC East - - - -
WAS
1982 Washington Redskins season
The 1982 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 8-8 record from 1981. The 1982 NFL season was shortened from 16 games per team to 9 games because of a players' strike. The NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament; eight teams from each conference were seeded...

1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...

8 1 0 .889 1st in NFC 4 0 1.000 Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game played on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the strike-shortened 1982 regular season...

 Champions.
WAS
1983 Washington Redskins season
The 1983 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to win consecutive Super Bowls, following their victory in Super Bowl XVII against the Miami Dolphins.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-Awards and records:...

1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...

14 2 0 .875 1st in NFC East 2 1 .667 Lost to Los Angeles Raiders
1983 Los Angeles Raiders season
-Schedule:-Los Angeles Raiders 38, Pittsburgh Steelers 10:The Raiders scored 3 touchdowns in the third quarter en route to a 38–10 win over the Steelers. In the first quarter, Pittsburgh advanced on a 78-yard drive, but when faced with fourth down and inches near the goal line, they opted for...

 in Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...

.
WAS
1984 Washington Redskins season
The 1984 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 14–2 record from 1983. Art Monk set an NFL record for most receptions in a season.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:...

1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....

12 4 0 .787 1st in NFC East 0 1 .000 Lost to Chicago Bears
1985 Chicago Bears season
The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...

 in NFC Divisional Game.
WAS
1985 Washington Redskins season
The 1985 Washington Redskins began the season with the team trying to improve on their 11-5 record from 1984. The biggest moment of the year occurred on a November 18 Monday Night Football game, which witnessed Joe Theismann's career-ending injury after a sack by New York Giants outside linebacker...

1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...

10 6 0 .625 3rd in NFC East - - - -
WAS
1986 Washington Redskins season
The 1986 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1985.-Schedule:-Standings:-NFC Wild Card Game:-NFC Divisional Playoff:-NFC Championship Game:-References:...

1986
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...

12 4 0 .750 2nd in NFC East 2 1 .667 Lost to New York Giants
1986 New York Giants season
The 1986 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during...

 in NFC Championship Game.
WAS
1987 Washington Redskins season
The 1987 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 12-4 record from 1986. The 1987 NFL season was shortened from 16 games per team to 15 games because of a players' strike. Games to be played during the third week of the season were canceled, and replacement players were...

1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...

11 4 0 .733 1st in NFC East 3 0 1.000 Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...

 Champions.
WAS
1988 Washington Redskins season
The 1988 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 11-4 record from 1987, when they won Super Bowl XXII. The Redskins failed to qualify for the playoffs. They were the seventh team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the...

1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....

7 9 0 .438 3rd in NFC East - - - -
WAS
1989 Washington Redskins season
The 1989 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 7-9 record from 1988. Despite a 10-6 record, they finished third in the NFC East and failed to qualify for the playoffs. The Week 11 game with Dallas was that team's only win of the season.-Regular season:In a week 14...

1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...

10 6 0 .625 3rd in NFC East - - - -
WAS
1990 Washington Redskins season
The 1990 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1989.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...

1990
1990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...

10 6 0 .625 3rd in NFC East 1 1 .500 Lost to San Francisco 49ers
1990 San Francisco 49ers season
The San Francisco 49ers entered the 1990 season heavily favoured to win their third consecutive Super Bowl. The season was highlighted by their defeat of the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Throughout the season, the 49ers and the Giants were the two best teams in the NFL. The 49ers would...

 in NFC Division Game.
WAS
1991 Washington Redskins season
The 1991 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1990. The Redskins would finish the season 14-2. They went undefeated in the playoffs and beat the Buffalo Bills 37-24 to win Super Bowl XXVI...

1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....

14 2 0 .875 1st in NFC East 3 0 1.000 Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...

 Champions.
WAS
1992 Washington Redskins season
The 1992 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to win their second Super Bowl in a row, following Super Bowl XXVI.-Draft Selections:-Schedule:-Standings:...

1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...

9 7 0 .562 3rd in NFC East 1 1 .500 Lost to San Francisco 49ers
1992 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1992 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 43rd year with the National Football League. The 49ers appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the second time in three seasons. This would be the last season the Niners would have with Joe Montana...

 in NFC Division Game.
WAS
2004 Washington Redskins season
The 2004 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 5-11 record from 2003. It was also the season of Joe Gibbs's return as Head Coach after coming out of retirement.-Schedule:-Standings:...

2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...

6 10 0 .375 4th in NFC East - - - -
WAS
2005 Washington Redskins season
The 2005 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 6-10 record from 2004. The Redskins placed 2nd in the NFC East. Washington earned their first playoff berth since 1999.-Offseason:...

2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...

10 6 0 .625 2nd in NFC East 1 1 .500 Lost to Seattle Seahawks
2005 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2005 Seattle Seahawks season saw them advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in the team's history. They were the NFC representative in Super Bowl XL, a game they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Seahawks compiled a 13-3 record in the regular season, easily winning the NFC West and...

 in NFC Division Game.
WAS
2006 Washington Redskins season
The 2006 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 2005.-Offseason:After the end of the 2005 season, the Redskins were reported to be $20 million over the salary cap...

2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...

5 11 0 .312 4th in NFC East - - - -
WAS
2007 Washington Redskins season
The 2007 Washington Redskins season was the team's 75th season, and saw the team achieve a record of 9-7 and a playoff appearance. This was an improvement over the 2006 season in which they went 5-11 and finished last in the NFC East....

2007
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....

9 7 0 .534 3rd in NFC East 0 1 .000 Lost to Seattle Seahawks
2007 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2007 Seattle Seahawks season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League. The team has improved upon its 9-7 record in 2006 and secured its fourth consecutive NFC West division title and its fifth consecutive playoff appearance...

 in NFC Wild Card Game.
Total 167 84 0 .700 17 7 .708

Personal life

Gibbs currently resides in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 with his wife Pat, but they live at their home in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

 during the NASCAR season. They have two sons, J.D. Gibbs
J.D. Gibbs
J. D. Gibbs is a former American race car driver, and is currently the president of Joe Gibbs Racing. After being born near Los Angeles, California, his family moved several times. After attending high school, he started to play football at The College of William & Mary. He is currently married...

 and Coy Gibbs
Coy Gibbs
Coy Gibbs is a former NASCAR driver and assistant coach with the Washington Redskins. His father is NASCAR Championship owner and Hall of Fame former Head Coach Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins...

 and eight grandchildren. J.D. Gibbs
J.D. Gibbs
J. D. Gibbs is a former American race car driver, and is currently the president of Joe Gibbs Racing. After being born near Los Angeles, California, his family moved several times. After attending high school, he started to play football at The College of William & Mary. He is currently married...

 and wife Melissa have four sons: Jackson, Miller, Jason, and Taylor. Coy Gibbs
Coy Gibbs
Coy Gibbs is a former NASCAR driver and assistant coach with the Washington Redskins. His father is NASCAR Championship owner and Hall of Fame former Head Coach Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins...

 and wife Heather have threee sons Ty, Case, Jet and daughter Elle. In January 2007, Gibbs revealed that Taylor was diagnosed with leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...

, adding that his grandson had undergone surgery and received chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....

 treatments. Joe Gibbs is a devout Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

.

Politics

On September 5, 2008, Gibbs addressed the 2008 Republican National Convention
2008 Republican National Convention
The United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...

, during which he offered his support for John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

 and his hope that the McCain-Palin ticket would lead to a 'spiritual awakening' in the United States. Gibbs has long been open about his Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 faith, but notoriously reserved about articulating his political positions, because, as the old Washington joke goes, "The Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

 are the only thing that unites the town." As one of the most sought after A-List
A-list
A-list is a term that alludes to major movie stars, or the most bankable in the Hollywood film industry.The A-list is part of a larger guide called The Hot List that has become an industry-standard guide in Hollywood...

 figures in Washington social circles for over a quarter-century (and even being referred to as "the most popular man in Washington" by the Washington Post), Gibbs admitted being uneasy addressing the convention, stating that it was "a little awkward to put on a partisan hat."

Writing career

In 1992 Gibbs co-authored Joe Gibbs: Fourth and One, and in 2003 he co-authored Racing to Win. The books resemble a business and life how-to book and motivational guide as he discusses his successes and mistakes in his career, offering the lessons he learned as tips to the readers. In 2009, Gibbs wrote the book Game Plan for Life which discusses his life in football and outside of the sports and key topics that are important to today's men and women. www.gameplanforlife.com.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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