Gary Moeller - Biography

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 in the high school levels for several years before joining Bo Schembechler at Miami University. 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.

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. 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. Moeller finished with a 4–3 record as head coach, making him the only Lions head coach since Joe Schmidt (who resigned after the 1972 season) 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, signing a three-year contract with the Chicago Bears as linebackers coach under head coach Dick Jauron. He served in that role for two seasons, leaving when Jauron was fired after the 2003 season.