Joe Gibbs Resigns as Coach

After a Christmas/New Year's hiatus, From the Reserved Seats is back and I'm hoping 2008 is off to a wonderful start for you and yours.

In the midst of the NFL Playoffs, news has surfaced that Joe Gibbs, Hall of Fame coach of the Washington Redskins, has resigned to be with family in North Carolina. He has finished his second tenure with the Redskins and his career totals are staggering: a record of 171-101, a 17-7 playoff record, a career .629 winning percentage, and Gibbs ranks third all-time among coaches behind George Halas and Don Shula.

The thing that is commendable about Gibbs' exit is that he turned down another year of coaching at a rate of $5.5. million to have more time with his grandchildren, one of which undergoes chemotherapy. Gibbs showed a remarkable sense of loyalty often not seen in the sports world today when he returned to the Redskins after a period of retirement and even at the press conference announcing the end of his second tenure, said, "I hate to leave something unfinished. I made an original commitment of five years. I felt bad about that." He choked up with emotion during the press conference, according to the AP article. Even though my affections were often set against Joe Gibbs and the Redskins, the man is a coaching legend and a great coach. The original AP article is linked below.