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Gary Gibbs Season 2024

LSU
Gary Gibbs
Title
Defensive Coordinator
Hometown
Oklahoma (1974)

Gary Gibbs, a former head coach at Oklahoma, joined the LSU football staff in January as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator.

Gibbs, a native of Beaumont, Texas, spent the 2000 season as the defensive coordinator at Georgia where he helped the Bulldogs rank among the national leaders in defense. Georgia ranked 19th in the nation in total defense in 2000 and the Bulldogs were 12th in the country in scoring defense by allowing just 18 points a contest.

Gibbs served as head coach at Oklahoma from 1989-1994 where he led the Sooners to three bowl games and a combined record of 44-23-2. Gibbs coached the Sooners to victories in the 1991 Gator Bowl and the 1993 John Hancock Bowl. Oklahoma also played in the 1994 Copper Bowl under Gibbs.

Gibbs started his coaching career at Oklahoma as a graduate assistant from 1975-76 and then he served the 1977 season with the Sooners as a part-time coach. Gibbs was elevated to linebackers coach for Oklahoma in 1978 and in 1981 he was promoted to defensive coordinator for the Sooners, a position he held until his promotion to head coach in 1989.

Under Gibbs’ watch as defensive coordinator, the Sooners won the 1985 national championship and Oklahoma finished first in the nation in total defense three times and first nationally in rushing defense twice.

Gibbs played linebacker at Oklahoma from 1972-1974, a span that saw the Sooners post a 32-2-1 overall mark and finish ranked No. 1 in the nation in 1974. Oklahoma was No. 2 in the nation in 1972 and they finished ranked third nationally in 1973.

Overall, during his 23 years with Oklahoma as a player, assistant and head coach, the Sooners played in 16 bowl games and they won three national titles.

Gibbs received both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Oklahoma. He and his wife, Jeanne, have two daughters, Whitley and Jordan.

THE GIBBS FILE

Year at LSU: First (appointed Jan. 9, 2001)
Birthdate: Aug. 13, 1952
Wife: Jeanne
Children: Whitley and Jordan
High School: Spring Branch (Texas)
College: Oklahoma ’74
Postgraduate: Oklahoma ’76

1975-76 Oklahoma (graduate assistant)
1977 Oklahoma (part-time coach)
1978-80 Oklahoma (linebackers)
1981-82 Oklahoma (defensive coordinator/outside linebackers)
1983-88 Oklahoma (defensive coordinator/inside linebackers)
1989-94 Oklahoma (head coach)
2000 Georgia (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2001 LSU (defensive coordinator)