What
happens
is
that
when
you
win
a
lot,
you
come
in
and
you’re
more
relieved
than
thrilled
about
winning.

Joe Gibbs served as a college and pro football assistant for 15 seasons before winning his first head coaching job with the 1981 Washington Redskins. During a 12-year term that ended after the 1992 season, the Gibbs-led Redskins won the NFC title in the strike-shortened 1982 season and NFC East Division championships in 1983, 1984, 1987 and 1991.

His teams defeated Miami in Super Bowl XVII, Denver in Super Bowl XXII and Buffalo in Super Bowl XXVI. Gibbs’ only championship-game losses came at the hands of the Los Angeles Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII and the New York Giants in the 1986 NFC title contest.

In 12 years, the Gibbs-led Redskins compiled a 124-60-0 regular-season record and a 16-5 record in 21 postseason games. His combined .683 winning percentage at the time of his Enshrinement was surpassed only by Vince Lombardi (.740) and John Madden (.731).

Gibbs is the only coach to have won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks, Joe Theismann (XVII), Doug Williams (XXII) and Mark Rypien (XXVI).

In 2004, Gibbs was coaxed back to Washington, coaching for four more seasons. When he retired a second time, his career record stood at 154-94 (.621) in 16 seasons. His teams won 10 or more games nine times with only three losing seasons.

Gibbs, who was born November 25, 1940, in Mocksville, North Carolina, is a graduate of Cerritos (California) Junior College and San Diego State. Assistant coaching jobs took him to San Diego State, Florida State, Southern California and Arkansas in the college ranks and to the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers before Gibbs got his first head coaching job with the 1981 Redskins.

 

Team
Year
W
L
T
Pct
W
L
Pct
W
L
T
Pct
Division Finish
Washington
1981
8
8
0
.500
             
4th - NFC East
Washington
1982
8
1
0
.889
4
0
1.000
       
1st - NFC*
Washington
1983
14
2
0
.875
2
1
.667
       
1st - NFC East
Washington
1984
11
5
0
.688
0
1
.000
       
1st - NFC East
Washington
1985
10
6
0
.625
             
3rd - NFC East
Washington
1986
12
4
0
.750
2
1
.667
       
2nd - NFC East
Washington
1987
11
4
0
.733
3
0
1.000
       
1st - NFC East
Washington

1988

7
9
0
.438
             
3rd - NFC East
Washington
1989
10
6
0
.625
             
3rd - NFC East
Washington
1990
10
6
0
.625
1
1
.500
       
3rd - NFC East
Washington
1991
14
2
0
.875
3
0
1.000
       
1st - NFC East
Washington
1992
9
7
0
.563
1
1
.500
       
3rd - NFC East
Washington 2004 6 10 0 .375               4th - NFC East
Washington 2005 10 6 0 .625 1 1 .500         2nd - NFC East
Washington 2006 5 11 0 .313               4th - NFC East
Washington 2007 9 7 0 .563 0 1 .000         3rd - NFC East
Career Total
154
94
0
.621
17
7
.708
171
101
0
.629
 

 

*Strike year format