http://www.nbcsports.com/portal/site/nbcsports/menuitem.6f806e473b4cb158fb00ec22493c2d04/?vgnextoid=c2bfba2ff5957110VgnVCM10000075c1d240RCRD

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Joe Gibbs resigned as coach and team president of the Washington Redskins on Tuesday.

The Redskins said in a statement that Gibbs will remain part of the Redskins family and serve as a special adviser to owner Dan Snyder. Gibbs was to discuss his decision at a 3 p.m. news conference at Redskins Park.

The Redskins will begin a search for a new coach immediately. Among the certain candidates are two former head coaches on Gibbs' staff, Gregg Williams and Al Saunders.

Gibbs went 31-36, including 1-2 in the playoffs, after emerging from NFL retirement and his NASCAR career to sign a five-year, $27.5 million contract in 2004. He had always maintained that he intended to fulfill the contract, but the 67-year-old coach wavered from that stance Monday when asked if he would return for the final year of his deal.

Gibbs' resignation brings an apparent end to a Hall of Fame career in which he twice raised the Redskins from mediocrity into a playoff team, although he failed in his goal of bringing the team back to the Super Bowl during his second stint in Washington. Gibbs won three NFL titles during his first tenure from 1981-92; the second time around he took the team to the postseason in two of his four seasons.

Gibbs' resignation comes after one of the best coaching performances of his career, his leadership helping the Redskins focus after the death of safety Sean Taylor on Nov. 27. Washington won its final four regular season games after Taylor's funeral, going from 5-7 to 9-7 to claim the final playoff berth in the NFC.

The emotional run ended Saturday, when the Redskins lost 35-14 at Seattle in the wild-card playoffs.

"It was the toughest (season) for me," Gibbs said Monday. "When you go through a season like that, for a while it's kind of hard to re-grasp reality."


Sad to see him go, I think he's a class act all the way....

I liked Joe Gibbs but i think this was a good move for him. He didn't seem like the same coach he was before.

After the season they had everyone assumed he'd finish out the last year of his contract, give it one final run, but everyone here is kind of stunned. He leaves with a losing record so coming back wasn't even worth it in hindsight. Everyone on the radio is guessing they'll hand it over to Greg Williams, the defensive coordinator, or that Dan Snyder'll dig deep into his pockets and go after Bill Cowher.

Let these rumors fly rampant now!

Pretty surprising. I'm sure it's been a difficult year, but they should be a decent playoff team next season.

It really doesn't matter who the coach is. The Snyder Skins are the Yankees of the NFL (except the Yankees have actually won a championship). They overspend on bad free agent choices and don't draft well enough.

They better hope that Williams isn't named head coach (see:Buffalo Head Coach 2001-2003)

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers

Year Driver Races W T5 T10
1992 Dale Jarrett 29 0 2 8
1993 Dale Jarrett 30 1 13 18
1994 Dale Jarrett 30 1 4 9
1995 Bobby Labonte 31 3 7 14
1996 Bobby Labonte 31 1 5 14
1997 Bobby Labonte 32 1 9 18
1998 Bobby Labonte 33 2 11 18
1999 Bobby Labonte 34 5 23 26
1999 Tony Stewart 34 3 12 21
2000 Bobby Labonte 34 4 19 24
2000 Tony Stewart 34 6 12 23
2001 Bobby Labonte 36 2 9 20
2001 Tony Stewart 36 3 15 22
2002 Bobby Labonte 36 1 5 7
2002 Tony Stewart 36 3 15 21
2003 Mike Bliss 1 0 0 0
2003 Bobby Labonte 36 2 12 17
2003 Tony Stewart 36 2 12 18
2004 Mike Bliss 2 0 1 1
2004 Ricky Craven 1 0 0 0
2004 Bobby Labonte 36 0 5 11
2004 Tony Stewart 36 2 10 19
2004 J.J. Yeley 2 0 0 0
2005 Denny Hamlin 7 0 0 3
2005 Bobby Labonte 36 0 4 7
2005 Terry Labonte 5 0 0 1
2005 Jason Leffler 19 0 0 0
2005 Tony Stewart 36 5 17 25
2005 J.J. Yeley 4 0 0 0
2006 Denny Hamlin 36 2 8 20
2006 Tony Stewart 36 5 15 19
2006 J.J. Yeley 36 0 0 3
2007 Aric Almirola 1 0 0 0
2007 Denny Hamlin 36 1 12 18
2007 Tony Stewart 36 3 11 23
2007 J.J. Yeley 36 0 1 3
Totals 970 58 269 451
RED denotes won the Cup Series championship.

i dont see any red

cam cameron is out there

Williams gets a cool Million if he's passed over for the job...nice contract there...

Snyder could back the Brink Truck up for Cowher...possibly to lure him out of retirement before Bill's return estimate of 2009...

Pretty much. Snyder's been trying to buy a championship ever since he showed up. Everyone knows Washington is where you come to get paid nowadays, not win championships.

It didn't copy over.

2000 Bobby Labonte
2002, 2005 Tony Stewart