Gary Moeller

Gary Oscar Moeller (born January 26, 1941) is a former American football coach best known for being head coach at the University of Michigan from 1990 to 1994. During his five seasons at Michigan, he won 44 games, lost 13 and tied 3 for a winning percentage of .758. In Big Ten Conference play, his teams won 30 games, lost 8 and tied 2 for a winning percentage of .775, and won or shared conference titles in 1990, 1991 and 1992.[1] He is the father of former Cleveland Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller.[2]

Gary Moeller
Moeller on the right at Michigan in 2014
Biographical details
Born (1941-01-26) January 26, 1941
Lima, Ohio
Playing career
1961–1963Ohio State
Position(s)Linebacker, center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1967–1968Miami (OH) (assistant)
1969–1972Michigan (DE)
1973–1976Michigan (DC)
1977–1979Illinois
1980–1981Michigan (QB)
1982–1986Michigan (DC)
1987–1989Michigan (OC)
1990–1994Michigan
1995–1996Cincinnati Bengals (TE)
1997–2000Detroit Lions (LB)
2000Detroit Lions
2001Jacksonville Jaguars (DC)
2002–2003Chicago Bears (LB)
Head coaching record
Overall50–37–6 (college)
4–3 (NFL)
Bowls4–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 Big Ten (1990–1992)
Awards
2× Big Ten Coach of the Year (1991–1992)

Moeller resigned in May 1995 after tapes were released of his alleged drunken outburst following an arrest on a charge of disorderly conduct at the now-defunct Excalibur restaurant in Southfield, Michigan on April 28.[3][4][5] He was succeeded by Lloyd Carr, who had assisted him at both Illinois and Michigan. Both Moeller and Carr served under UM coach Bo Schembechler from 1980 to 1989.

Biography

Moeller was a three-year letterwinner at Ohio State University, playing primarily at linebacker under head coach Woody Hayes. He served as team co-captain in his senior year, along with offensive tackle Bob Vogel.

After graduation in 1963, Moeller coached at the high school level, including Bellefontaine High School coaching defensive linemen for several years until joining Bo Schembechler at Miami University in 1967. He moved with Schembechler to Michigan in 1969, where he served as defensive ends coach until 1973, when he was promoted to defensive coordinator. Schembechler had also been an assistant coach at Ohio State when Moeller was a player, and both were members of the FWAA 1961 National Championship team.

Moeller was head coach of the University of Illinois from 1977 to 1979. He rejoined the Wolverines as quarterbacks coach for a season in 1981. Moeller has the rare distinction of serving as both an offensive (1987–1990) and defensive (1974–1976, 1982–1987) coordinator during his time at Michigan. He coached the Wolverines to a victory over Alabama in the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl, while Schembechler recovered from heart surgery. Individual Michigan players to win national honors under Moeller include Desmond Howard, winner of the Heisman Trophy and other awards in 1991. Erick Anderson won the Dick Butkus Award in 1991. Moeller resigned from the head coaching position in May 1995 following a drunken incident at a local restaurant.[6]

After Michigan, Moeller was hired in June 1995 by the Cincinnati Bengals as tight ends coach under head coach David Shula and spent two seasons there. In 1997, he joined the Detroit Lions as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach under new head coach Bobby Ross. In 2000, Moeller was named head coach following Ross's sudden resignation nine games into the season.[7] He was given a contract for the remainder of the season and two additional years by owner William Clay Ford, Sr., a move that seemingly guaranteed a future with the team. After the team narrowly missed the playoffs (losing their final game on a last-second 54-yard field goal), ownership endorsed Moeller as the Lions head coach for the foreseeable future. However, he was eventually fired by new team president Matt Millen in early 2001 and replaced by Marty Mornhinweg.[8] Moeller finished with a 4–3 record as head coach, making him the only Lions head coach since Joe Schmidt to post a winning record during his tenure (Moeller has since been joined by Jim Caldwell in this regard).

In 2001, Moeller joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as defensive coordinator under head coach Tom Coughlin.[9] He voluntarily stepped down from that position after one season, signing a three-year contract with the Chicago Bears as linebackers coach under head coach Dick Jauron.[10] He served in that role for two seasons, leaving when Jauron was fired after the 2003 season.

Head coaching record

College
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten Conference) (1977–1979)
1977 Illinois 3–82–69th
1978 Illinois 1–8–20–6–29th
1979 Illinois 2–8–11–6–19th
Illinois: 6–24–33–18–3
Michigan Wolverines (Big Ten Conference) (1990–1994)
1990 Michigan 9–36–2T–1stW Gator87
1991 Michigan 10–28–01stL Rose66
1992 Michigan 9–0–36–0–21stW Rose55
1993 Michigan 8–45–3T–4thW Hall of Fame1921
1994 Michigan 8–45–33rdW Holiday1212
Michigan: 44–13–330–8–2
Total:50–37–6
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

NFL
TeamYearRegular SeasonPost Season
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
DET2000 430.5714th in NFC Central00.000
DET Total430.57100.000–
Total430.57100.000–

References
  1. Biography at University of Michigan Athletics History. Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  2. "Andy Moeller Arrested: Ravens Assistant Busted In Maryland". The Huffington Post. September 20, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
  3. Cain, Charlie. "Reports Detail Moeller's Confrontation With Police." Detroit News, in Seattle Times, May 3, 1995. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  4. "Moeller resigns; Carr will be named interim coach; Players voice respect for Moeller." The University Record (University of Michigan), May 8, 1995. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  5. "Document Indicates Coach Was Forced Out Of Program." Detroit News, in Seattle Times, July 6, 1995. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  6. Moeller Bows Out as Michigan Coach : College football: Resignation follows a drunken incident that the athletic director says tarnishes the university's image. <http://articles.latimes.com/1995-05-05/sports/sp-62736_1_michigan-football-coach>
  7. Pennington, Bill. "Giants to Face Lions, And a Persistent Moeller." New York Times, November 18, 2000. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  8. "Mornhinweg Hired To Coach the Lions." New York Times, January 25, 2001. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  9. "New Jobs for Moeller And Cunningham." New York Times, February 7, 2001. Retrieved on July 14, 2009.
  10. Mullin, John. "Bears hire Gary Moeller as linebackers coach." Chicago Tribune, February 22, 2002.
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