The coming of Joe Gibbs to the Washington Redskins organization was not an earthshaking occurrence at the time he was employed in 1981. For the Redskins' many long suffering fans, the hope was simple: that the new Coach may make the team at least respectable and competitive among its division and also the NFC. Owner Jack Cooke and the team's general manager both recognized something even bigger in Gibbs, though, after they observed him in his role as an assistant with the San Diego Chargers. It's uncertain that even they understood the true greatness of the man they were hiring.

Setting the tone

Gibbs' initial season as coach of the Redskins set the tone for his tenure. When losing the primary 5 games he coached, there were many fans who puzzled exactly what their beloved team had done when they hired the man. Gibbs was bolstered, however, by the unwavering support of the team's owner, and a spark was lit when Cooke declared that he had little doubt his team would finish eight and eight on the season as a result of he just knew Gibbs would turn things around. Because it turned out, he was right. Washington rallied around their new coach and did finish that season with an eight-eight record. That was simply the start of the great things to come.

Super Bowl XVII

In just his second season with the franchise, Gibbs led his team to the NFC title game, and then into the Super Bowl against the Dolphins. The Redskins fans felt that it absolutely was an excessive amount of to expect that their team could win the game - they were happy just to be there! They would win it though, as they topped Miami during a 27-17 game.

Continued success

In 1983, the Redskins posted a 14-two record and once again fought their method through to the Super Bowl. This point, but, they were beaten handily by the Raiders - despite being odds-on favorites to win. When some a lot of successful seasons that saw the team post eleven, ten, and twelve win records, the Redskins found themselves back in the Super Bowl once once more, this point facing the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII. The Broncos never even had a probability to get going because the Washington team crushed them by 32 points. It had been the team's second Super Bowl win, and had the Gibbs-era Washington Redskins firmly entrenched among the NFL's elite.

The tip of the road

Four years would pass before the Redskins would see the Super Bowl once more, this point in Super Bowl XXVI. Gibbs' team dominated the Buffalo Bills throughout the sport, and the ultimate score of 37 to twenty four is no real indication of how wide the gulf had been, since the coach pulled most of his starters early in the fourth. Gibbs would then retire when the 1992 season ended. A second stint with the Redskins many years later would prove so much less successful, however wouldn't mar his legacy jointly of the best coaches ever to grace the game.