Weeb Ewbank
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{{NFL Coach 2
|Image=
|Caption=
|DateOfBirth=May 6, 1907
|Birthplace=Richmond, Indiana
|DateOfDeath=November 17, 1998
|College=Miami-Ohio
|Position=Head Coach
|Awards=
|Honors=
|Records=
|Record=130-129-7
|SuperBowls=1968 Super Bowl III
|Championships=1968 AFL Championship
1959 NFL Championship
1958 NFL Championship
|DatabaseFootballCoach=EWBANWEE01
|coach=yes
|coachingyears=1954-1962
1963-1973
|coachingteams=Baltimore Colts
New York Jets
|HOF=1978
}}
Wilbur "Weeb" Ewbank (May 6, 1907 - November 17, 1998) was an American professional football coach. He is a member of the Cradle of Coaches, the unique reputation Miami University (Ohio) has for producing top football coaches.
When Sonny Werblin bought the New York Titans franchise in the American Football League, he changed both the team's name (to the New York Jets) and its coach. Ewbank took over a team that had not had a winning record in its first three years, and made them into a force to be reckoned with.
As coach of the Baltimore Colts, Ewbank had won the 1958 and 1959 NFL championships. In 1965, the Jets' signing of Joe Namath added to the arsenal he would eventually pit against his former team in the third AFL-NFL World Championship game, Super Bowl III.
His Jets won the American Football League Championship in 1968 with a victory over the defending AFL champions, the Oakland Raiders. In the third World Championship Game, the Colts (proclaimed by some to be "the greatest pro football team of all time") were heavily favored over the AFL's "overmatched" Jets. But with Weeb's confident planning the Jets ran a game plan that mystified the Colts and came out with a 16-7 victory.
In doing so the Jets made Ewbank the only man ever to coach two different teams to victory in a Championship Game (two NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959 with the Colts, an AFL Championship in 1968 with the Jets, and a World Championship in Super Bowl III in 1969 with the Jets]. Weeb's record in the AFL was 50-42-6 (71-77-6 all-time with the Jets) and his career regular season record in the NFL & AFL was 130-129-7 and his play-off record was 4-1. He coached the Colts and Jets to three world championships. Ewbank was selected as the Head Coach of the All-Time All-AFL team.
Coincidentally, Ewbank died 30 years to the day that his Jets lost to the Raiders 43-32, in what would come to be known as the Heidi Game.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
See also
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External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Most updated Baltimore Colts site