Gary Moeller

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Gary Moeller
Date of birth January 26, 1941
Place of birth Lima, Ohio
Sport Football
Title Head coach
Overall Record 50-37-6
Bowl Record 4-1
Championships
  won
3 Big Ten titles
Coaching Stats College Football DataWarehouse
School as a player
1961-63 Ohio State University
Position Linebacker / Center
Coaching positions
1977-1979
1990-1994
University of Illinois
University of Michigan

Gary O. Moeller (born January 26, 1941 in Lima, Ohio) is an American football coach best known for his stint as University of Michigan head coach from 1990 to 1994. He also coached at the University of Illinois from 1977 to 1979. 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.

Moeller resigned in April 1995 after tapes were released of his alleged drunken outburst following an arrest on a charge of disorderly conduct at a Detroit-area restaurant. He was succeeded by Lloyd Carr, who had assisted him at both Illinois and Michigan. Both Moeller and Carr served under coaching great Bo Schembechler from 1980–89.

Moeller had been a three-year letterwinner at the Ohio State University, playing primarily at linebacker. He served as team co-captain in his senior year, along with offensive tackle Bob Vogel.

After graduation in 1963, he coached in the high school levels for several years before joining Bo Schembechler at Miami University. He moved with Bo to Michigan in 1969, and served as defensive ends coach until 1973, when he was promoted to defensive coordinator. After his stint at Illinois, Moeller 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. Moeller coached the Wolverines to a victory over Alabama in the 1988 Hall of Fame Bowl, while Schembechler recovered from heart surgery.

In 2000, while serving as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach for the Detroit Lions, Moeller was named head coach following the resignation of Bobby Ross nine games into the season. Moeller was given a 3-year contract 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, Moeller was eventually fired by newly named team President Matt Millen in early 2001, and was replaced by Marty Mornhinwheg. Moeller finished with a 4–3 record as head coach, making him the only Lions head coach in the past 30 years to post a winning record during his tenure.

In 2001, Moeller joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as defensive coordinator under head coach Tom Coughlin. He voluntarily stepped down from that position after one season.

[edit] Coaching record at Michigan

Year Overall (Big Ten/place) Bowl game
1990 9–3 (6–2/1st‡) Gator Bowl
1991 10–2 8–0/1st Rose Bowl
1992 9–0–3 6–0–2/1st Rose Bowl
1993 8–4 5–3/3rd Hall of Fame Bowl
1994 8–4 5–3/3rd Holiday Bowl

denotes shared championship

[edit] Player accomplishments at Michigan

Michigan players to win national awards under Moeller:

Preceded by
Bob Blackman
University of Illinois Head Football Coach
1977–1979
Succeeded by
Mike White
Preceded by
Bo Schembechler
University of Michigan Head Football Coach
1990–1994
Succeeded by
Lloyd Carr
Preceded by
Bobby Ross
Detroit Lions Head Coaches
2000
Succeeded by
Marty Mornhinwheg

Murphy • Crawford • Barbour • McCauley • Ward • Ferbert • Lea • YostLittle • Wieman • KipkeCrislerOosterbaanElliottSchembechlerMoellerCarr

Williams • Lackey • E. K. Hall • Vail • Huff • Smith • Holt • Woodruff • Lowenthal • Lindgren • Hall • ZuppkeEliotElliott • Valek • BlackmanMoellerWhiteMackovicTepperTurnerZook