Gary Gibbs

College coach infobox


Name = Gary Gibbs
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Title = Defensive coordinator
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DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1952|8|13
Birthplace = flagicon|Texas Beaumont, TX
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OverallRecord = 44-23-2
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CFbDWID = 858
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Player = Y
Years = 1972-1974
Team = Oklahoma
Position = LB
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1975-77
1978-80
1981-88
1989-94
2000
2001
2002-2005
2006-"present"
CoachTeams = Oklahoma (Grad. assist.)
Oklahoma (LB coach)
Oklahoma (DC)/LB coach
Oklahoma
Georgia (DC)
LSU (DC)
Dallas Cowboys (LB)
New Orleans Saints (DC)
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Gary Gibbs (born August 13, 1952 in Beaumont, Texas) is an American football player turned coach most notable for coaching the University of Oklahoma Sooners for six years following the resignation of Barry Switzer.

Gibbs spent the first half of his adult life at Oklahoma as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He played for the Sooners as a linebacker under Switzer from 1972-1974. He began coaching in 1975 as a graduate assistant under Switzer and was promoted to linebackers coach in 1978. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1981 and held that position until he was named head coach in 1989 after Switzer was forced out due to numerous NCAA rules violations.

Gibbs stayed for six years, leading the Sooners to a record of 44-23-2 in that time. While he succeeded in his primary task--cleaning up the program's image--he was perceived as a coach who couldn't win big games. He went 2-15-1 against Oklahoma's biggest rivals--Texas, Nebraska and Colorado--and never won more than five games in the Big 8 Conference. Moreover, the Sooners were hobbled by NCAA sanctions. During Gibbs' first two years, the Sooners were barred from bowl games and live TV. More seriously, they were only allowed to give out 18 scholarships rather than 25. Even so, he was forced to resign after the 1994 season due to his lackluster record in big games. Ironically, 1994 was the first season he was able to field a team with a full complement of scholarships.

He was the defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia in 2000 and then at Louisiana State University in 2001. From 2002-2005, he was the linebackers coach for the Dallas Cowboys.

Currently, he is in his 3rd year as the Defensive Coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.

Gibbs has a wife, Jeanne, and two children, Whitley and Jordan.

References

* [http://www.dallascowboys.com/team_coach_gary_gibbs.cfm Gary Gibbs: Coach profile.]

External links

* [http://www.neworleanssaints.com/coachbio.cfm?coachid=32 Gary Gibbs: Coach Bio]