The NFL lost an all-time Sunday, with the Washington Redskins announcing that offensive line coach Joe Bugel, the man behind the franchise’s famous “Hogs” line in the 1980s, died at the age of 80. .
“I am absolutely devastated by the news of Joe’s passing,” team owner Dan Snyder said. “Joe was a bigger than life figure and a true legend of his profession. He exemplified what it meant to be a Redskin with his character and ability to connect with his players along with an unparalleled work ethic.”
Bugel had two stints as an NFL head coach, first with the Phoenix Cardinals (1990-1993) and then with the Oakland Raiders (1997), but is best known for serving 15 years combined in Washington. He first arrived in 1981 as OL coach and offensive coordinator, then was promoted to assistant coach in 1983, remaining in that role until 1989. Bugel returned to the Redskins in a similar role in 2004, joining the rebuilt staff of Joe Gibbs as assistant offensive and the head coach OL.
During Bugel’s separate stints with the team, the Redskins boasted of the NFL’s top OL production, first with the 1980 “Hogs” lineup that included four different Pro Bowlers (Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Jeff Bostic, Mark May) and helped Washington appear. in three different Super Bowls, two of which the team won. Washington had a combined 92-48 record (and 11-3 in the postseason) during Bugel’s first nine years running the Redskins’ trenches, and scored a NFL record of 541 points during his first year as an assistant HC.
Bugel, who excelled in two-way high school and was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, began training with Western Kentucky as a 1964 graduate assistant. He spent time with three other universities, including Ohio State, before entering the NFL with the Detroit Lions in 1975, he then spent six years between the Lions and the Houston Oilers before coming to DC Bugel also spent four years as the OL of the San Diego Chargers coach (1998-2001) before meet with Gibbs. He helped offensive tackle Chris Samuels win four consecutive Pro Bowls during his last stint with the Redskins, while also overseeing a line that paved the way for five consecutive 1,000-yard runners, including Clinton Portis.
