Mr. Gibbs returns to Washington
Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is expected to be named the Washington Redskins' head football coach on Wednesday afternoon.
Attorneys for both Gibbs and the Redskins are working out the details that will contain provisions keeping Gibbs in the organization after he is through with coaching.
The Redskins have been in search of a coach since Steve Spurrier resigned last week after two unsuccessful seasons. Spurrier was only 12-20 in Washington.
Washington owner Daniel Snyder had indicated that he wanted a proven NFL coach to lead his team after Spurrier's resignation. Washington has made the playoffs only once since the glory days under Gibbs, late owner Jack Kent Cooke and former general manager Bobby Beathard.
Snyder interviewed three other candidates -- former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, former Minnesota coach Dennis Green and Seattle defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes before he elected to hire Gibbs.
Gibbs coached the Redskins from 1981-92 and led the club to titles in Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI. He also reached the Super Bowl following the 1983 season, but lost. After Gibbs resigned from his coaching position after the 1992 campaign, he entered the world of NASCAR as a team owner and was adamant about not returning to coaching, despite maintaining several NFL contacts.
While working in NASCAR, Gibbs' racing teams have captured two Winston Cup Championships in the last four seasons, with Bobby Labonte winning in 2000 and Tony Stewart claming NASCAR's top achievement two years later. Dale Jarrett, who drove for Gibbs, also won the sport's most lucrative race, the Daytona 500, in 1993.
The 63-year-old Gibbs, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996, has a career record of 124-60, including a 16-5 mark in the postseason.
Gibbs is currently a minority owner with the Atlanta Falcons, but he would have to sell his shares in the organization to return to the sidelines.
Gibbs' return to coaching by is similar to the path's taken by Dick Vermeil and Bill Parcells. Vermeil returned to the NFL in 1997 following a 14-year absence, led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl championship following the 1999 season, and has the Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason this year. Parcells, who used to be the coach of the New York Giants, returned to Dallas this season after a three-year hiatus and led the Cowboys to the playoffs. Both Vermeil, a former Philadelphia Eagles head coach, and Parcells faced Gibbs as NFC East rivals during Gibbs' first run in Washington.
Gibbs marks the fifth coach under Snyder since the Bethesda marketing executive bought the team in 1999.