European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 22, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 b the stars and stripes wednesday january 22, 1992 super bowl xxvi so Many wins by Vito Stellino the Baltimore Sun Herndon a. Washington redskins coach Joe Gibbs still remembers the Heady time nine years ago when he was walking to the hotel ballroom for the winning coach s traditional news conference the Day after super bowl xvii. A you get to feeling important. You think Man in be got it done Here and in be achieved things Quot he said. Then a woman stopped him outside the ballroom. A this lady runs up and she goes of Don Don give me your signature a a Gibbs said. A it makes you realize you re really not that the tale of How he was confused with t Don Shula the Day after his redskins had bested Shula s Miami dolphins in the super bowl is the quintessential Gibbs Story. He tries never to take himself too seriously. At that news conference he scoffed at the idea that he could be compared with the titans of the profession such As Shula Tom Landry or Chuck Noll. A anybody who knows me knows in a a very average person who works hard. My goal is to be one of those 10-year people a he said at the time. A i think coaches who have proven they can win Over a Long period of time should be considered the successes in this profession. Ten years from now if in a still standing Here then ill be a he a still standing there a alone. A a he a probably at the top of the ladder As far As successful coaches Are concerned Quot said Harry Gamble the general manager of the Philadelphia eagles. A i done to think anybody a better a said Ernie Accorsi who runs the football operations for the Cleveland Browns. Monday Gibbs flew to Minneapolis to make his fourth super bowl appearance and attempt to win it for the third time. If the redskins who Are favored by a touchdown beat the Buffalo Bills in super bowl xxvi sunday hell join Bill Walsh who won three and Noll who won four As the Only coaches to win More than two super bowls. Landry and Don Shula have won two each. Now that Landry has been fired Noll has retired Walsh has returned to College coaching Shula has made the playoffs Only once in the past six years and Bill Parcells Hasni to decided what he a going to do Gibbs 51, stands at the top of his profession. Quot you mean in a the old Guy is that what you re saying i done to think in a compared with those Guys a he said. Gibbs said that Dan Reeves of the Denver Broncos a like Gibbs in his 11th season a called him recently to note that they re now second in nil seniority to Shula who has coached 29 seasons. A i think that s a sad commentary on what we do a Gibbs said referring to nil coaches Lack of Security. When he was asked about his 10-year comment he said Quot i think it s a Success. I done to know How much of a As for the Standard set by Landry Noll and Shula Gibbs said a a you re talking about Guys who coached 20 years and did great things Over and Over and Over again. I think those Are the Guys that everybody looks to. They certainly done to look at he started laughing Dan Reeves or Joe Gibbs in that same Gibbs was asked if. Nine years from now. He d set a 30-year Standard hat he could t match. A if in a standing Here at 20 talking to you Guys you can take me Over to that Flag Polc Over there and hang me from that thing a a he said. A the other one 10 and still Humble like a Happy Puppy Veteran Washington coach Joe Gibbs shakes off the water following an pfc championship Victory dousing. Years was probably a Little premature. I needed the Money too. I did no to add Gibbs has admitted losing More than a million dollars in bad investments in his Early years with the redskins and now he has an expensive Hobby in Lascar racing. Hell sponsor a team on the circuit this year. His interest in Auto racing has fuelled rumours that hell quit coaching soon but Gibbs seems to have lost none of his zest for the game and has said that this has been one of his most enjoyable seasons. A was Long As my family is still excited about it that s important to me Quot he said. Quot when they lose it and i lose it hell retire but until that happens a despite Gibbs Success he Hasni to become a larger than life figure. He does t have Vince Lombardi s Gap toothed smile Shula a jaw. Nollys stare or Landry a hat. A the looks like an Ordinary Guy and he sounds like an Ordinary Guy but he a not an Ordinary Guy. He a very extraordinary Quot Accorsi said. When the Cleveland Browns were searching for a head coach in 1989, they interviewed mostly defensive coaches and asked each which was the toughest system to prepare against. A fall but one rated the redskins first a Accorsi said. Quot that system has gone other places via former Gibbs assistants Dan Henning to Atlanta and san Diego and Joe Bugel to Phoenix and it has t been As effective. Its not the system. Its him. He s the ultimate coach. I Don t think he a gotten anywhere near the Aura he deserves. There s a design to everything they Gibbs version is that owner Jack Kent Cooke general managers Bobby Bea thard and Charlie Casserly the assistant coaches and the players should get most of the credit. A a in be been very fortunate a lot of my friends went places and they did t have redskins Joe Gibbs. Seeks 3rd championship everything there to win a Gibbs said. He said the offence is a kind of run by committee in a Way Quot and he even jokes about his input into the defense that is run by assistant coach Richie Petitbon. Quot i May walk Down there and say a Stop Mem a or something really smart and then i walk Back a he said. But the redskins have changed players a Only six remain from the first super bowl team a assistant coaches and even general managers and yet Gibbs keeps them winning. Said Jerry Glanville the Maverick coach of the Atlanta Falcons a a in be never discussed football with him. I think he son one of those higher cerebral that Wasny to a compliment in Glan Villers eyes but it captures Gina so reputation. Beathard the san Diego chanters general manager who hired Gibbs in Washington said a a he a got a determination that a the equal of anybody in be Ever seen. The Only Guy in be seen like that is probably Shula. He can sell his program. He a got something those great coaches or great generals have. He can when Beathard left in the Spring of 1988, there was much speculation that Gibbs pulled a Power play and was going to take Over the organization. Instead Casserly moved in and the roles remained unchanged. Casserly has the final say in the draft. Gibbs has the final say on which players to keep. Gibbs said a i never wanted something else i just want to a a Gibbs generally is a players coach. His tirades Are so infrequent a he threw a chair in Phoenix this year called the players off the practice Field after an embarrassing loss last year and cleared a table full of oranges a few years ago in Philadelphia a that they make headlines. A you can go in and talk to him about anything a wide receiver Art Monk said. A a he a just there for the players All the Matt Millen who played for Joe Pater no in College and Tom Flores and George Seifert in the nil before joining the redskins said a successful coaches Are consistent in the Way they do things. They re convinced that a the right Way but they also know its not the Only Gibbs has won 129 games but what drives him is the quest for the next Victory. After the pfc title game Victory Over the Detroit Lions last sunday Gibbs said he and his family were hugging and High living in the car going Home when his wife Pat said a this whole thing will be ruined if you done twin the super a what a great thought a Gibbs said. A a everybody in the car busted Gibbs will have the same thought next sunday
