Former Lions, Michigan coach Gary Moeller dies at age of 81

Gary Moeller, the former University of Michigan and Detroit Lions head coach, passed away Monday at age of 81. 

On Monday, the University of Michigan announced former Wolverines head coach Gary Moeller died at the age of 81.

Moeller was a protege of legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler, going back playing at Ohio State when Schembechler was an assistant there to working as an assistant under Schembechler at Miami of Ohio.

After a three-year detour to be the head coach at Illinois, where he went 6-24-3, Moeller went back to Ann Arbor in 1980 and was named Schembechler’s heir apparent. In 1990, Moeller became the head coach when Schembechler retired.

Moeller went 44-13-3 in five seasons as the Wolverines’ head coach, with a 4-1 record in bowl games. He was two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, as the Wolverines won three Big Ten titles during his tenure and set a Big Ten record with 19 straight conference wins from 1990 through 1992.

Gary Moeller’s tenure as Detroit Lions head coach has a hint of “what might have been?”

After resigning from his post at Michigan after a drunk driving incident, Moeller went to the NFL as Cincinnati Bengals tight end coach in 1995. From there he was hired as the Lions’ linebackers coach by Bobby Ross in 1997.

Moeller finished the 2000 season as the Lions’ interim head coach after Ross abruptly stepped down, leading Detroit to a 4-3 record over the final seven games. With Matt Millen’s hiring as general manager, Marty Mornhinweg was hired as head coach.

Moeller went on be the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars for one season (2001) and linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears for two seasons (2002-2003) before retiring from coaching.

Given what came after him, a 5-27 record over Mornhinweg’s two seasons as head coach and more than six wins just once in the next 10 seasons, the sentiment that Moeller should have gotten more time as Lions’ head coach has resurfaced.

If Bears kicker Paul Edinger had missed a game-winning field goal in the 2000 season finale, the Lions would have made the playoffs and changes may not have been made after the season (hiring Millen as GM being the big, and ultimately ill-conceived, move).

Moeller is survived by his wife Anne, daughters Susan, Amy and Molly and son Andy.