View source for Abe Gibron

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1925–1997)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name           = Abe Gibron
| image          = Abe Gibron.jpg
| alt            = A headshot of Gibron while with the Chicago Bears
| caption        = Gibron while coach of the Chicago Bears
| number         = 40, 34, 64, 67
| position       = [[Guard (gridiron football)|Guard]]
| birth_date     = {{birth date|1925|9|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Michigan City, Indiana]], U.S.
| death_date     = {{death date and age|1997|9|23|1925|9|22|mf=y}}
| death_place    = [[Belleair, Florida]], U.S.
| height_ft      = 5
| height_in      = 11
| weight_lb      = 243
| high_school    = [[Michigan City High School|Elston (IN)]]
| college        = [[Valparaiso Beacons football|Valparaiso]] <br> [[Purdue Boilermakers football|Purdue]]
| draftyear      = 1949
| draftround     = 6
| draftpick      = 55
| pastteams      =
* [[Buffalo Bills (AAFC)|Buffalo Bills]] (1949)
* [[Cleveland Browns]] ({{NFL Year|1950|1956}})
* [[Philadelphia Eagles]] (1956–{{NFL Year|1957}})
* [[Chicago Bears]] ({{NFL Year|1958|1959}})
| pastcoaching   =
* [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] ({{NFL Year|1960|1964}})<br /> Offensive line 
* Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1965|1969}})<br /> Offensive line
* Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1970|1971}})<br /> Defensive coordinator/Defensive line 
* Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1972|1974}})<br />Head coach 
* [[Chicago Winds]] ([[1975 World Football League season|1975]])<br />Head coach 
* [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] ({{NFL Year|1976|1984}})<br />Defensive coordinator/Defensive line 
| pastexecutive  =
* [[Seattle Seahawks]] ({{NFL Year|1985|1989}})<br /> Scout
| highlights     =
* 3× [[NFL Championship|NFL Champion]] ([[1950 NFL Championship Game|1950]], [[1954 NFL Championship Game|1954]], [[1955 NFL Championship Game|1955]])
* 2× First-team [[All-Pro]] ({{NFL Year|1953}}, {{NFL Year|1955}})
* 2× Second-team All-Pro (1949, {{NFL Year|1952}})
* 4× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1953 Pro Bowl|1952]]–[[1956 Pro Bowl|1955]])
* [[Cleveland Browns#Cleveland Browns legends|Cleveland Browns Legends]]
* AAFC Rookie Lineman of the Year (1949)
| statleague     = NFL/AAFC
| statlabel1     = Games played
| statvalue1     = 125
| statlabel2     = Games started
| statvalue2     = 109
| statlabel3     = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue3     = 3
| regular_record = {{Winning percentage|11|30|1|record=y}}
| pfr            = GibrAb00
| pfrcoach       = GibrAb0
}}

'''Abraham Gibron''' (September 22, 1925 – September 23, 1997) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player and coach. Gibron played 11 seasons as a [[Guard (gridiron football)|guard]] in the [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC) and [[National Football League]] (NFL) in the 1940s and 1950s, mostly with the [[Cleveland Browns]]. He was then hired as an assistant coach for the NFL's [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] and [[Chicago Bears]] before becoming head coach of the Bears between 1972 and 1974.

Gibron grew up in [[Indiana]], where he was a standout athlete in high school. After graduating, he spent two years in the U.S. military during [[World War II]], enrolling at [[Valparaiso University]] upon his discharge. He later transferred to [[Purdue University]], where he played football for two years with the [[Purdue Boilermakers|Boilermakers]] and was named an [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten Conference]] guard. Gibron's professional career began in 1949 with the [[Buffalo Bills (AAFC)|Buffalo Bills]] of the AAFC. The league dissolved after that season, however, and he moved to the Browns in the NFL. While he was initially a substitute, Gibron developed into a strong lineman on Cleveland teams that won NFL championships in 1950, 1954 and 1955 behind an offensive attack that featured [[quarterback]] [[Otto Graham]], [[End (American football)|end]] [[Dante Lavelli]] and [[Tackle (American and Canadian football)|tackle]] [[Lou Groza]]. He was named to the [[Pro Bowl]], the NFL's all-star game, each year between 1952 and 1955.

After short stints with the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] and the Bears, Gibron ended his playing career and got into coaching. He served first as a line coach for the Redskins for five years, and then in a similar role for the Bears beginning in 1965. He rose to become Bears' [[defensive coordinator]] in the early 1970s, and was named head coach in 1972, replacing [[Jim Dooley]]. Gibron's three years leading the Bears were unsuccessful, however. His teams posted a combined [[Winning percentage|win–loss–tie record]] of 11–30–1 over three seasons. Gibron was fired in 1974, and spent the following year as coach of the [[Chicago Winds]], a team in the short-lived [[World Football League]].

Gibron, who was known for his colorful personality and large size – he ballooned to more than 300 pounds as a coach – spent seven seasons as an assistant with the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] before retiring from coaching. He stayed close to the game, however, by serving as a scout for the [[Seattle Seahawks]] in the late 1980s and as an advisor to the Buccaneers in the early 1990s. He died after suffering a series of strokes in 1997.

==Early life and college==

Gibron was born in [[Michigan City, Indiana]] to [[Lebanese people|Lebanese]] immigrant parents from [[Zahlé]],<ref>{{Cite news|date=6 November 1960|title=Deux Américains d'origine libanaise grandes vedettes du football américain|language=fr|trans-title=Two Americans of Lebanese origin great stars of American football|page=7|work=[[L'Orient-Le Jour|L'Orient]]}}</ref> and attended [[Michigan City High School|Elston High School]].<ref name="Indiana HOF page">{{cite web |title=Gibron, Abe |url=http://www.indiana-football.org/?q=node/325 |publisher=Indiana Football Hall of Fame |access-date=September 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065352/http://www.indiana-football.org/?q=node%2F325 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Chicago Tribune obit">{{cite news|last=Pierson |first=Don |title=Former Bears Coach Gibron Dies |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/09/24/former-bears-coach-gibron-dies/ |access-date=September 7, 2013 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=September 24, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428022533/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-09-24/sports/9709240086_1_abe-gibron-bears-halas |archive-date=April 28, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Gibron was the captain of his high school football team and was named an All-[[Northern Indiana Athletic Conference]] player.<ref name="Indiana HOF page" />

After graduating in 1943, Gibron joined the [[United States Marine Corps]] during [[World War II]].<ref name="Indiana HOF page" /><ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /> Gibron left the military as the war ended in 1945, however, enrolling at [[Valparaiso University]] in [[Valparaiso, Indiana]].<ref name="Indiana HOF page" /> He played his [[freshman]] year of [[college football]] there and was captain of the team, which finished the season with a 6–1 [[Winning percentage|win–loss record]] and won the [[Indiana Intercollegiate Conference]] championship under head coach [[Loren Ellis]].<ref name="Indiana HOF page" /><ref name="CFBDW Valparaiso stats">{{cite web |title=Valparaiso Yearly Results |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/pioneer/valparaiso/1945-1949_yearly_results.php |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |access-date=September 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113215730/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_iaa/pioneer/valparaiso/1945-1949_yearly_results.php |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Gibron was named an All-Conference [[guard (American and Canadian football)|guard]] and was an honorable mention Little College [[All-America]]n.<ref name="Indiana HOF page" />

Gibron transferred to [[Purdue University]] in [[West Lafayette, Indiana]] in 1946.<ref name="Indiana HOF page" /><ref name="Condon">{{cite news|last=Condon|first=David|title=In the Wake of the News|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=January 7, 1972}}</ref><ref name="Gibron as Bucs assistant">{{cite news|title=The Assistant Coaches|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19760909&id=X2RNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EfsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4421,2602333|access-date=September 7, 2013|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger|date=September 9, 1976|page=5G}}</ref> He played there between 1946 and 1948, making the varsity team twice.<ref name="Indiana HOF page" /><ref name="Gibron as Bucs assistant" /> Purdue had a losing record in each of those years, but Gibron was named an [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten Conference]] player and an honorable mention All-American.<ref name="Indiana HOF page" /><ref name="CFBDW Purdue stats">{{cite web|title=Purdue Yearly Results |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/bigten/purdue/1945-1949_yearly_results.php |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |access-date=September 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130920230143/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/bigten/purdue/1945-1949_yearly_results.php |archive-date=September 20, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Professional career==

Gibron was selected by the [[Buffalo Bills (AAFC)|Buffalo Bills]] in the first round of a secret draft held in 1948 by the [[All-America Football Conference]] (AAFC).<ref name="1949 AAFC draft">{{cite web|title=1949 AAFC Draft |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/AAFC/1949_AAFC_Draft.pdf |publisher=Pro Football Researchers |access-date=September 7, 2013 |page=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617102231/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/AAFC/1949_AAFC_Draft.pdf |archive-date=June 17, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The AAFC organized the draft for players expected to graduate in 1949 so that its teams could begin wooing their selections before the rival [[National Football League]] (NFL) had its draft the following year.<ref name="1949 AAFC draft" /> The NFL's [[New York Giants]] also selected Gibron in the sixth round of the [[1949 NFL draft|1949 draft]], but he chose to play for the Bills instead.<ref name="PFR player page">{{cite web|title=Abe Gibron NFL Football Statistics |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GibrAb00.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917171303/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GibrAb00.htm |archive-date=September 17, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Buffalo posted a 5–5–2 win–loss–tie record in 1949, Gibron's only season with the team.<ref name="PFR player page" /><ref name="1949 Bills stats">{{cite web|title=1949 Buffalo Bills Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/bba/1949.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053716/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/bba/1949.htm |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> That record made Bills the last-ranked team in a four-team [[Shaughnessy playoff system|Shaughnessy playoff]] held at the end of the season.<ref name="1949 Bills stats" />{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=125}} The playoff was instituted after the AAFC's financial struggles led to the consolidation of its divisions that year.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=125}} The Bills lost in the first round of the playoffs to the [[Cleveland Browns]], and subsequently lost to the [[Chicago Hornets]] in a game for third place.<ref name="1949 Bills stats" /> The AAFC dissolved after the season, and the Browns, [[San Francisco 49ers]] and [[Baltimore Colts (1947-50)|Baltimore Colts]] were absorbed into the NFL.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=141}} Gibron was selected as a second-team [[All-Pro]] by sportswriters after the season and was named the AAFC's rookie lineman of the year.<ref name="Indiana HOF page" />

In 1950, players from the AAFC's defunct teams – including the Bills – went into a [[1950 AAFC dispersal draft|dispersal draft]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=153}} Gibron, however, was sold along with [[halfback (American football)|halfback]] [[Rex Bumgardner]] and [[defensive tackle]] [[John Kissell]] to the Browns in a deal that gave Bills owner James Breuil a 25% share in the team.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=152}}<ref name="Buffalo Bills sale">{{cite journal|last=Marren |first=Joe |title=The Other Buffalo Bills |journal=The Coffin Corner |year=1997 |volume=19 |issue=1 |page=4 |access-date=September 13, 2013 |publisher=Pro Football Researchers |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/19-01-685.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617105059/http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/19-01-685.pdf |archive-date=June 17, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the Browns, Gibron joined a team that had won all of the AAFC's four championships behind an offense that featured [[quarterback]] [[Otto Graham]], [[fullback (American football)|fullback]] [[Marion Motley]] and [[end (American football)|end]]s [[Mac Speedie]] and [[Dante Lavelli]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=64–65, 81, 118–121, 145–146}} Yet while the Browns had been the league's best team, many sportswriters and owners doubted that the team would continue its string of success against NFL teams starting in 1950.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=153, 160}} Cleveland started the season by beating the previous year's NFL champion [[Philadelphia Eagles]] and went on to win the [[1950 NFL Championship Game|NFL championship]] over the [[Los Angeles Rams]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=163–165, 180–182}}

Cleveland finished the 1951 season with an 11–1 record and again reached the [[1951 NFL Championship Game|championship game]], but lost this time to the Rams.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=232–234}}<ref name="1951 Browns stats">{{cite web|title=1951 Cleveland Browns Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1951.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053909/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1951.htm |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Gibron was used primarily as a messenger guard early in his career – primarily as a substitute used to send plays in to the quarterback – but later developed into an anchor of Cleveland's offensive line, helping protect Graham and open up space for the team's backs to run.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=200}}{{sfn|Maxymuk|2012|p=100}} The team again reached the [[1952 NFL Championship Game|NFL championship game]] in 1952 and again lost to the [[Detroit Lions]].{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=233–234}} Gibron, who was unusually quick for his large size, was selected to play in the [[1953 Pro Bowl|Pro Bowl]], the league all-star game, after the season.<ref name="PFR player page" />{{sfn|Maxymuk|2012|p=100}} He was also named an [[All-Pro]] by sportswriters.<ref name="PFR player page" /><ref>{{cite news|title=7 Browns on NEWS '53 All-Pro|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/453207575/?clipping_id=174270870&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjQ1MzIwNzU3NSwiaWF0IjoxNzQ5NjA2NzcyLCJleHAiOjE3NDk2OTMxNzJ9.FOnhOYcwBHd8ru8jEJr6yBQDu7GZ6zn2vwV0FohYY5w|work=[[New York Daily News]]|first=Hy|last=Turkin|authorlink=Hy Turkin|date=December 27, 1953|page=72|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Another championship game appearance and loss to the Lions followed in 1953, when Gibron was again named to the [[1954 Pro Bowl|Pro Bowl]] and was selected to one sportswriter's first-team All-Pro list.<ref name="PFR player page" />{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=281–284}} The Browns came back in 1954 and 1955 to win championships against the Lions and Rams.{{sfn|Piascik|2007|pp=323–325, 340–342}} Gibron was named to the Pro Bowl both of those years and was a first-team All-Pro in 1955.<ref name="PFR player page" />{{sfn|Piascik|2007|p=343}} Gibron played part of the 1956 season for the Browns, but he suffered a leg injury and was cut in November to make room on the roster for rookie Don Goss.<ref name="Gibron with Eagles">{{cite news|title=Gibron to Play Against Browns|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=November 28, 1956|page=34}}</ref><ref name="Gibron with leg injury">{{cite news|last=Heaton|first=Chuck|title=Brown Will Keep Gain at Left End|newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer|date=October 30, 1956|page=31}}</ref> The [[Philadelphia Eagles]] signed him two weeks later to replace [[Norm Willey]], who was out with a broken leg.<ref name="Gibron with Eagles" /> The Eagles finished with losing records in both 1956 and 1957, Gibron's last year with the team.<ref name="1956 Eagles stats">{{cite web|title=1956 Philadelphia Eagles Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1956.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918021122/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1956.htm |archive-date=September 18, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="1957 Eagles stats">{{cite web|title=1957 Philadelphia Eagles Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1957.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918003008/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1957.htm |archive-date=September 18, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Gibron finished his playing career with the [[Chicago Bears]], who signed him in 1958.<ref name="Gibron with Bears">{{cite news|title=Toss-up war expected in grid ranks|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tJlaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z0sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6689,1842755&dq=gibron+bears&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Ellensburg Daily Record|date=August 21, 1958|agency=Associated Press|location=Chicago|page=8}}</ref> The Bears had an 8–4 record in both of Gibron's seasons there, but the team did not advance to the NFL championship game.<ref name="1958 Bears stats">{{cite web|title=1958 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1958.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910020100/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1958.htm |archive-date=September 10, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="1959 Bears stats">{{cite web|title=1959 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1959.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903165625/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1959.htm |archive-date=September 3, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Over his 11-season career, Gibron played in 116 games and started 109 of them, all in his first season in Buffalo.<ref name="PFR player page" />{{sfn|Porter|1995|p=431}}{{sfn|Frostino|2004|p=212}}

==Coaching career==

Shortly after Gibron ended his playing career, [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] head coach [[Mike Nixon]] hired him as his line coach.{{sfn|Maxymuk|2012|p=100}} Washington finished with a 1–9–2 record in 1960 and Nixon was replaced by [[Bill McPeak]], but Gibron stayed in his position under the new coach.{{sfn|Maxymuk|2012|p=100}}<ref name="1960 Redskins stats">{{cite web|title=1960 Washington Redskins Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/1960.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908073627/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/was/1960.htm |archive-date=September 8, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Gibron remained in Washington through the 1964 season.{{sfn|Maxymuk|2012|p=100}}

Gibron next returned to Chicago in 1965 to serve as the Bears' offensive line coach as part of a rebuilding project by team owner and head coach [[George Halas]] following a losing season in 1964 – only the seventh in franchise history.<ref name="Halas on Bears">{{cite news|title=Halas Says Bears Will Not Have Eighth Losing Season|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BSVjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=03MNAAAAIBAJ&pg=948,1910382&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=The Rochester Sentinel|date=August 20, 1965|agency=Associated Press|location=Rensselaer, Ind.|page=8}}</ref> The Bears finished with a 9–5 record in 1965, but struggled in 1966 and 1967, Halas's final two seasons as the Bears' coach.<ref name="1965 Bears stats">{{cite web|title=1965 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1965.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917145922/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1965.htm |archive-date=September 17, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="1966 Bears stats">{{cite web|title=1966 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1966.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917174307/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1966.htm |archive-date=September 17, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="1967 Bears stats">{{cite web|title=1967 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1967.htm |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008110237/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1967.htm |archive-date=October 8, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Gibron was seen as a successful coach, and was courted in 1966 to be head coach of the [[Miami Dolphins]] of the [[American Football League]] but turned down the offer.<ref name="Gibron courted by Miami">{{cite news|title=Halas Fights To Keep His Bear Staff Intact|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PfEpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TckEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5450,2459076&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal|date=January 13, 1966|agency=Associated Press|location=Chicago|page=16}}</ref>

After Halas resigned, Gibron continued as an assistant under new head coach [[Jim Dooley]] in 1968.<ref name="Halas retires">{{cite news|title=Retired George Halas Names No. 1 Assistant Jim Dooley Bears' Head|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Wn8sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aMwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4499,5203720&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Spartanburg Herald|date=May 29, 1968|agency=Associated Press|location=Chicago|page=14}}</ref> He switched to coaching the defensive line the following year when assistant coach [[Joe Fortunato (linebacker)|Joe Fortunato]] resigned and [[Jim Ringo]] was hired to coach the offensive line.<ref name="Fortunato quits">{{cite news|title=Fortunato Quits Bears Coach Post|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T-NKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tukMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3521,1969436&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Schenectady Gazette|date=February 11, 1969|agency=Associated Press|location=Chicago|page=24}}</ref> Dooley, however, was dismissed in late 1971 after three consecutive losing seasons, including a 1–13 record in 1969.<ref name="Dooley fired">{{cite news|title=Jim Dooley Fired As Coach Of Grid Bears By Halas|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vqhIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FQENAAAAIBAJ&pg=978,8363313&dq=dooley+fired&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=The Morning Record|date=December 30, 1971|agency=Associated Press|location=Chicago|page=5}}</ref> Gibron was elevated to head coach the following January and said the team had the talent to make a run at the NFL championship.<ref name="Gibron made Bears coach">{{cite news|title=Chicago elevates Gibron to head coach of Bears|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=67osAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vgkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5547,4731666&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Star-News|date=January 28, 1972|agency=United Press International|location=Chicago|page=18}}</ref>

It was initially thought that Gibron would make good on his promise to deliver a championship to Chicago; he was regarded as one of the best line coaches in the game.  However, he inherited a Bears team in the midst of a generational transition.<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /> [[Running back]] [[Gale Sayers]], who had anchored Chicago's offense during the mid- to late-1960s, had suffered two knee injuries and was forced to retire during training camp in 1972.<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /> Star [[linebacker]] [[Dick Butkus]] was also hobbled by knee injuries and had to retire nine games into the 1973 season.<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /> Quarterback [[Bobby Douglass]] ran for 968 yards in 1972, setting an NFL record for quarterbacks, but passed for only 1,246 yards.<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /> In his three seasons, the Bears compiled an 11–30–1 record, finishing last in the [[NFC North|NFC Central]] each time.<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /><ref name="1972 NFL standings">{{cite web|title=1972 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1972/ |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916233943/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1972/ |archive-date=September 16, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="1973 NFL standings">{{cite web|title=1973 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1973/ |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908052553/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1973/ |archive-date=September 8, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="1974 NFL standings">{{cite web|title=1974 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1974/ |publisher=Pro Football Reference |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830174844/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1974/ |archive-date=August 30, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> His .268 winning percentage is the worst for a non-interim coach in Bears history.<ref name="DBF Chicago coach stats">{{cite web|title=CHI Coaching Records and History |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/coaches/coachteam.htm?tm=chi&lg=nfl |publisher=Database Football |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923014834/http://www.databasefootball.com/coaches/coachteam.htm?tm=chi&lg=nfl |archive-date=September 23, 2013 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Gibron was fired two days after the final game of the [[1974 NFL season]].<ref name="Gibron fired by Bears">{{cite news|title=Bears Dismiss Gibron|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dJpjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pHkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3597,1304427&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=December 18, 1974|agency=Associated Press|location=Chicago|page=1–C}}</ref> Halas hired [[Jim Finks]] as the Bears' general manager in 1974 to formulate a new strategy following the 4–10 record the Bears compiled in Gibron's last season.<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /> Chicago had the fourth overall pick in the [[1975 NFL draft]], using it to select future all-time rushing leader [[Walter Payton]].<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" />

Gibron stayed in Chicago in 1975, replacing [[Babe Parilli]] as head coach of the [[World Football League]]'s [[Chicago Winds]].<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /><ref name="Gibron hired by Winds">{{cite news|title=Gibron returns to Chicago; John Basset bites the bullet|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eTw0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=j-sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4584,4229186&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=The Miami News|date=July 29, 1975|agency=Associated Press|location=Chicago|page=2C|archive-date=November 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117034047/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eTw0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=j-sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4584,4229186&dq=gibron&hl=en|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Winds got out to a 1–4 record before they were expelled from the league in September for falling below league financial requirements, a month before the entire league folded.{{sfn|Maxymuk|2012|p=101}} Gibron was hired in 1976 as a defensive line coach with the expansion [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], but was switched to [[defensive coordinator]] that March before returning to serve as line coach in later years.{{sfn|Porter|1995|p=431}}<ref name="Gibron Tampa DC">{{cite news|title=Gibron changes jobs with Tampa|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gp1GAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9v0MAAAAIBAJ&pg=1227,2714229&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Gadsen Times|date=March 20, 1976|agency=Associated Press|location=Tampa, Fla.|page=6}}</ref> He had been a college teammate of Bucs head coach [[John McKay (American football)|John McKay]] at Purdue.<ref name="Gibron with McKay">{{cite news|last=Crussell|first=Bud|title=Gibron Asks For Time To Build Winner|newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner|date=October 4, 1977}}</ref> Gibron stayed in Tampa for seven seasons until McKay retired in early 1985 and was replaced by [[Leeman Bennett]].<ref name="Gibron not retained by Tampa">{{cite news|last=Zier|first=Patrick|title=Raye becomes Tampa Bay's third offensive coordinator|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ke8vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2fsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4818,1841477&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger|date=February 5, 1985|location=Tampa|pages=1D, 3D}}</ref> He then served as a scout for the [[Seattle Seahawks]] by head coach [[Chuck Knox]], and was accused later in the year of spying on the [[Cincinnati Bengals]] and attempting to steal their signals.<ref name="Gibron accused of spying">{{cite news|title=Bengals accuse the Seahawks of spying|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iidSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6zUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2848,1091894&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=The Day|date=September 6, 1985|agency=Associated Press|page=C5}}</ref> Knox responded by saying Gibron's presence at a preseason game in Cincinnati could not have been a secret, given his large size.<ref name="Gibron accused of spying" /> He stayed on as a scout until 1989, and later worked as an advisor to Bucs coach [[Sam Wyche]].{{sfn|Maxymuk|2012|p=101}}

While he was not successful as a head coach, Gibron was renowned for his colorful personality and immense appetite throughout his career.<ref name="NYT obit">{{cite news|last=Litsky |first=Frank |title=Abe Gibron, 72, N.F.L. Coach, Wit and a Lover of Good Food |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/25/sports/abe-gibron-72-nfl-coach-wit-and-a-lover-of-good-food.html |access-date=September 13, 2013 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 25, 1997 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002204338/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/25/sports/abe-gibron-72-nfl-coach-wit-and-a-lover-of-good-food.html |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> He weighed about 250 pounds during his playing career, but quickly ballooned to over 300 pounds as a coach.<ref name="NYT obit" /> "Every time you went to dinner, it was a banquet", Browns teammate [[Lou Groza]] said of him.<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /> Buccaneer player [[Charley Hannah]] once said after dining with him, "He was eating things we wouldn't even go swimming with in Alabama".<ref name="They Said It quote">{{cite magazine|last=Boyle |first=Robert H. |title=They Said It |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=September 5, 1977 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1092770/index.htm |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240526204711/https://www.webcitation.org/6JcYxuOup?url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1092770/index.htm |archive-date=May 26, 2024 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A humorous clip of Gibron singing [[Joy to the World (Three Dog Night song)|Joy to the World]] on the sidelines during a 1973 game against Denver was made famous by [[NFL Films]] in ''[[Football Follies]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/steve_sabols_nfl_films_gave_fo.html|title=Steve Sabol's NFL Films gave football an emotional soul|last=Reed|first=Tom|publisher=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=September 18, 2012}}</ref>  Gibron played himself in the critically acclaimed 1971 TV movie ''[[Brian's Song]]'', the story of Chicago Bears teammates [[Brian Piccolo]] and Gale Sayers.{{sfn|Marill|1987|pp=53–54}}

==Later life and death==

As his coaching career was drawing to a close in 1984, Gibron's teenage son James struck and killed a woman from [[Largo, Florida]] while driving drunk.<ref name="Gibron sentencing improper">{{cite news|title=Sentencing improper to Gibron|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DbROAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t_sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5189,7014847&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger|date=November 15, 1985|location=Lakeland|page=3D}}</ref> James pleaded no contest to manslaughter charges and was tried as an adult, but the verdict was overturned on appeal.<ref name="Gibron sentencing improper" /> He eventually got 10 years of probation and went on to become a lawyer in Florida.<ref name="James Gibron as lawyer">{{cite news|last=Carlton |first=Sue |title=Immigrant lawyer is a sure case of an American dream |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/immigrant-lawyer-is-a-sure-case-of-an-american-dream/1219067/ |access-date=September 13, 2013 |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |date=March 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316165907/http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/immigrant-lawyer-is-a-sure-case-of-an-american-dream/1219067 |archive-date=March 16, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Gibron was taken to the hospital in 1985 with severe abdominal pains and later had surgery to remove a brain tumor.<ref name="Gibron hospitalized">{{cite news|title=Bucs' Gibron in satisfactory condition in Indiana hospital|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mbkwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1fsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1186,5268871&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger|date=June 13, 1985|page=3D}}</ref><ref name="Brain tumor surgery">{{cite news|title=Howser condition 'satisfactory'|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BQBXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1_kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2578,2319152&dq=gibron&hl=en|access-date=September 13, 2013|newspaper=Spokane Chronicle|date=July 25, 1986|agency=Associated Press|location=Kansas City, Mo.|page=22}}</ref> Gibron suffered strokes in December 1996 and February 1997 that confined him to his home for the remainder of his life.<ref name="NYT obit" /> He died at home in [[Belleair, Florida]], the day after his 72nd birthday.<ref name="NYT obit" /> Gibron and his wife, Susie, had three children.<ref name="Chicago Tribune obit" /> Gibron was inducted into the [[Indiana Football Hall of Fame]] in 1976.<ref name="Indiana HOF page" />

==Head coaching record==

===NFL===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Post Season
|-
!Won !!Lost!!Ties!!Win %!!Finish!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Result
|-
![[1972 Chicago Bears season|CHI]]||[[1972 NFL season|1972]]
||4||9||1||{{winpct|4|9|1}}|||| – || – || – || –
|-
![[1973 Chicago Bears season|CHI]]||[[1973 NFL season|1973]]
||3||11||0||{{winpct|3|11|0}}|||| – || – || – || –
|-
![[1974 Chicago Bears season|CHI]]||[[1974 NFL season|1974]]
||4||10||0||{{winpct|4|10|0}}|||| – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"| CHI Total || 11 || 30 || 1 || {{winpct|11|30|1}} |||| – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"| Total || 11 || 30 || 1 || {{winpct|11|30|1}} |||| – || – || – || –
|}

==References==

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

===Bibliography===

{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Frostino|first=Nino|year=2004|title=Right on the Numbers|publisher=Trafford Publishing|location=Bloomington, IN|isbn=978-1-41222-562-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Marill|first=Alvin H.|year=1987|title=Movies Made For Television: The Telefeature and the Mini-series, 1964–1986|url=https://archive.org/details/moviesmadefortel0000mari|url-access=registration|publisher=New York Zoetrope|location=New York|isbn=978-0-91843-280-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Maxymuk|first=John|year=2012|title=NFL Head Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary, 1920-2011|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=978-0-78646-557-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Piascik|first=Andy|year=2007|title=The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns|publisher=Taylor Trade Publishing|location=Lanham, MD|isbn=978-1-58979-571-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Porter|first=David L.|year=1995|title=Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: 1992–1995 Supplement for Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Other Sports|publisher=Greenwood|location=Westport, CT|isbn=978-0-313-28431-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/biographicaldict0000unse_z6m6}}
{{refend}}
{{Portal|Biography}}

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{{Cleveland Browns Legends}}
{{1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibron, Abe}}
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