Joe Gibbs’ 1981 hiring as the coach of the Washington Redskins was somewhat low key, since he had no real track record as a head coach in the NFL. Few knew what to expect under his tenure, though fans did hope that he would be able to make their team more of a threat to others within the NFC. The only people who had an idea as to the potential Gibbs had as a coach were the team’s owner and general manager. They had both watched his work in an assistant role with the Chargers and felt that he had an instinct for the game that could benefit their team. Even they could not possibly have envisioned just how successful he would be.

The First Season

Most coached find their first season with any new team a learning experience. For Gibbs, this was certainly true. In fact, the Redskins lost five in a row to start the 1981 season. Fans were dismayed, and began to second guess the management’s decision to bring a novice head coach into the fold. For the owner’s part, however, he never wavered in his belief that Gibbs was the right man for the job – and went on to vow that Gibbs would lead the team to a breakeven season. Amazingly, Gibbs did just that. The Redskins players found their stride and reversed the season’s course – becoming a new team in the process of completing their owner’s prediction and finishing with eight wins and eight losses. For Gibbs and the Washington franchise, that achievement was but the first of many to follow.

A Super Bowl at Last

For the fans of the Redskins, a Super Bowl had long been a dream. They had been there in Super Bowl VII, but were crushed by the Dolphins. In Gibbs’ 1982 season, he restored the organization’s hopes by leading them through the playoffs and onto Super Bowl XVII – a rematch with the hated Dolphins who had dashed fans’ hopes years before. This time would be different; however, as the Redskins plowed through the Miami team to earn a ten-point victory.

And the Beat Goes On

For the Redskins, that was the first in a series of great seasons. The 1983 campaign found them back in the Super Bowl again – only to lose to the Raiders of Los Angeles. Subsequent seasons saw the team win ten or more games four seasons in a row. In that fourth season, Washington was once again in the title game, Super Bowl XXII. This time the opponent was Denver, and the game was not even a contest. At the end of the day, the victory margin was 32, and the now-elite Washington Redskins had brought home their second Super Bowl trophy.

A Career Closes

It would only be another four years until Gibbs would have the team competing for a third Super Bowl. During Super Bowl XXVI, the Buffalo Bills were brutalized by the Redskins throughout most of the game, and Gibbs eventually sent in the second string with only three quarters of play completed. After winning that Super Bowl, Gibbs retired. And even though he did coach the Redskins for another four seasons a few years later, the Gibbs era will forevermore be associated with that period in which the team won three Super Bowls.

Author Bio: Ivan Jamison is a big sports fan. You can check out his Washington Redskins Watch or his Chicago Cubs Watch or his Detroit Tigers Watch

Category: Sports
Keywords: Washington Redskins