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Drew Gibbs
Biographical details
BornJuly 8, 1962
Died (aged 59)
Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1989Kean
1990–2000Ridgewood High School (Asst.)
2001–2021Ramapo HS
Head coaching record
Overall3–7 (college)

Drew Gibbs (July 8, 1962 – November 16, 2021) was an American high school football coach who was head coach of the Kean University Cougars during the 1989 season and was a head coach at Ramapo High School. Regarded as one of the best high school football coaches in the state of New Jersey, Gibbs' teams at Ramapo only missed making the state playoffs once in his first seventeen years in the position.

Born in Rutherford, New Jersey, Gibbs moved to Midland Park, New Jersey and graduated from Midland Park High School in 1980, where he played prep football and wrestled at the varsity level. He attended Gettysburg College and transferred to Montclair State University for his final two collegiate years.[1][2]

Gibbs served as an assistant football coach at Montclair State University and Kean University during the 1980s. He was head coach of the Kean University Cougars during the 1989 season, where he compiled a record of 3–7. He then served as an assistant football coach at Ridgewood High School, where he also coached wrestling.[3]

In 2001, Gibbs was chosen to succeed Mike Miello as the head coach at Ramapo High School after Miello became an assistant coach at Rutgers University.[4] Gibbs won five Group III, State Sectional Championships at Ramapo and has a career record of 167 wins against 48 losses.[5] He was also named North Section 1 Coach of the Year by the NJFCA in both 2001 and 2009. Gibbs was elected as a member in the New Jersey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014 for both his accomplishments as a head coach in football and wrestling, a sport where he has also exceeded 100 career victories.

Many of his athletes have gone on to college to play, some major schools include Rutgers University, David Bonagura and Chris Hogan and Syracuse University, Ross Krautman and Ricky Krautman.

On November 15, 2021, Gibbs experienced chest pains during a practice. He was admitted to a hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where he died from complications of surgery the following day, at age 59.[6]

Head coaching record

College

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Kean Cougars (New Jersey Athletic Conference) (1989)
1989 Kean 3–7 2–4 5th
Kean: 3–7 2–4
Total: 3–7

References

  1. ^ Sunderraj, Sunil. "Drew Gibbs Fosters Culture of Success and Tradition at Ramapo High School", SunilSunderraj.com, September 19, 2020. Accessed November 18, 2021. "Born in Rutherford, New Jersey, Drew Gibbs and his family moved to Midland Park when he was eight years old. Attending Midland Park High School, 'sports was a part of the family,' Gibbs said... After graduating from high school, Gibbs attended Gettysburg College for two years and completed his final two years at Montclair State."
  2. ^ Tartaglia, Greg; Mattura, Greg; Gantaifis, Nick; and Farrell, Greg. "'True class act': North Jersey sports community reflects on life of Ramapo coach Drew Gibbs", The Record, November 17, 2021. Accessed November 18, 2021. "In addition to coaching football and wrestling at the Franklin Lakes high school, Gibbs had also been a football assistant and head wrestling coach at Ridgewood for numerous years. He graduated from Midland Park in 1980 after earning varsity letters in both sports."
  3. ^ Cooper, Darren (November 16, 2021). "Ramapo's Drew Gibbs is the NJ.com Football Coach of the Year, 2019". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  4. ^ Mattura, Greg (February 28, 2001). "Ramapo Names Gibbs". The Record.
  5. ^ Conrad, J. J. (2019-12-18). "Ramapo's Drew Gibbs is the NJ.com Football Coach of the Year, 2019". www.nj.com. Archived from the original on 2020-03-08.
  6. ^ Lanni, Patrick (November 16, 2021). "Ramapo football coach Drew Gibbs, 59, dies after emergency surgery". NJ.com. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
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