Former Raiders coach Joe Bugel dies.
Joe Bugel, whose 35-year career in the NFL included one season as the Raiders’ head coach, died Sunday. He was 80.
The cause of death was not disclosed.
Best known for his work as an offensive line coach, especially with the Washington teams that won three Super Bowls, Bugel served as Raiders head coach in 1997, their third season in Oakland after returning from Los Angeles. After a 4-12 season, he was replaced by Jon Gruden, then a 36-year-old unknown.
Bugel had spent the previous two seasons in Oakland as assistant head coach under Mike White. Prior to that, Bugel had been head coach of the Phoenix (now Arizona) Cardinals, where he compiled a 20-44 record in four seasons ending with his firing in 1993.
“Saddened to hear of the passing of legendary coach Joe Bugel,” Raiders Hall of Famer Tim Brown wrote on Twitter. “He was a passionate but soft-hearted coach who cared about the players. One of his favorite sayings was, “men, this week’s game is gonna be a Donnybrook”! No more Donnybrooks coach, RIP!!
Bugel’s years as an assistant coach, which began in 1975 with the Detroit Lions, were filled with glory. With Washington, he was the architect of “The Hogs,” the dominant offensive lines that helped lead the team to three Super Bowls under Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs.
“Joe had an incredible passion for the game of football,” Gibbs said in a statement. “He came to work every day with such great excitement and his players had tremendous respect for him. The strength of our coaching staff on both sides of the ball was a key reason we had so much success.”