Joe Gibbs will return to coach Redskins
In a stunning move, Joe Gibbs will return as coach of the Washington Redskins, a team he led to three Super Bowl titles.
Gibbs agreed to a five-year contract, he announced on his NASCAR racing team's Web site Wednesday.
"The desire to coach has always been with me, even after being away from the game for 11 years," Gibbs said.
The Redskins expected to announce Gibbs' hiring later Wednesday, a source within the NFL told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Gibbs replaces Steve Spurrier, who quit with three years left on his $25 million contract after two losing seasons. Under Spurrier, the Redskins went 7-9, then 5-11.
In contrast, the Redskins made the playoffs during eight of Gibbs' 12 seasons, and his .683 winning percentage ranks third in NFL history. His record was 124-60 in the regular season and 16-5 in the playoffs, including Super Bowl victories after the 1982, 1987 and 1991 seasons - each with a different quarterback.
Since Gibbs retired after the 1992 season, the Redskins' five coaches went a combined 74-101-1.
Burned out from long days and nights in the NFL - he was known as a workaholic who sometimes slept on a cot at Redskins Park - Gibbs has been running a successful NASCAR racing team.
He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and over the years has said he didn't want to return to coaching, although he has retained NFL connections. He was involved with a group that attempted to purchase the Redskins after owner Jack Kent Cooke's death in the late 1990s, and he and two partners bought a combined 5 percent of the Falcons for $27 million in 2002.
The Redskins have budgeted $5 million a year for a coach, the amount they were paying Spurrier. Gibbs has to give up his ownership stake in the Falcons to take the Redskins' job.
The mere mention of Gibbs' name brings instant credibility among the players, who had become disenchanted with the losing atmosphere. Even though most have never met Gibbs, his legacy left a long shadow.
"You can just walk through this building and look at those Super Bowl trophies, and that will tell you enough about him - even if you were too young to watch the guy coach," tackle Chris Samuels said.
The Redskins have made the playoffs just once since Gibbs retired, suffering through a decade of losing despite aggressive ownership moves.
Snyder has become the master of the big offseason splash since buying the team in 1999, signing star players such as Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith and coaches Marty Schottenheimer and Spurrier.
None of it translated to success on the field, however. The Redskins have had four consecutive nonwinning seasons.
Gibbs, 63, will find today's NFL different from the one in which he coached. He led the Redskins during the last years before free agency and kept together a corps of talented players for the better part of 10 years. Such continuity rarely exists now in an era in which players switch teams regularly.
The Redskins interviewed at least three other candidates: former Giants coach Jim Fassel, former Vikings coach Dennis Green, and Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes.
Gibbs' racing teams have been among the most successful in NASCAR, with two Winston Cup championships in the last four seasons. Bobby Labonte won the title in 2000, Tony Stewart in 2002.
Gibbs' oldest son, J.D., is president of Joe Gibbs Racing. The former coach's youngest son, Coy, finished 14th last season in the Busch Series standings.
The racing team will continue under the same management. J.D. Gibbs will remain team president, and all of the drivers and key sponsors have long-term deals.
"He called a big meeting at the airport last night," Stewart said. "He said, 'Can you meet us at the airport? We've got something we got to talk about.' I think it is a great thing for him. He has always been involved in football. Even when he hasn't been coaching, he's kept a close eye on football."