 Gilbertson (far right) with theSeattle Seahawks in 2006 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1948-05-15)May 15, 1948 (age 77) Snohomish, Washington, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Central Washington University B.S. 1971 |
| Playing career | |
| 1967 | Central Washington |
| 1968 | Columbia Basin JC |
| 1969–1970 | Hawaii |
| Position | Offensive lineman |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1971–1974 | Idaho State (GA) |
| 1975 | Western Washington (GA) |
| 1976 | Washington (GA) |
| 1977–1981 | Utah State (OC) |
| 1982 | Idaho (OC) |
| 1983–1985 | Los Angeles Express (OC) |
| 1985 | Idaho (OC) |
| 1986–1988 | Idaho |
| 1989–1990 | Washington (OL) |
| 1991 | Washington (OC/OL) |
| 1992–1995 | California |
| 1996–1998 | Seattle Seahawks (assistant) |
| 1999 | Washington (AHC) |
| 2000–2002 | Washington (AHC/OC) |
| 2003–2004 | Washington |
| 2005–2008 | Seattle Seahawks (assistant) |
| 2010–2011 | Cleveland Browns (scout) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 55–51 |
| Bowls | 1–0 |
| Tournaments | 2–3 (NCAA I-AA playoffs) |
Keith Steven Gilbertson Jr. (born May 15, 1948) is a retiredAmerican football coach and player. He was the head coach at theUniversity of Idaho (1986–1988), theUniversity of California, Berkeley (1992–1995), and theUniversity of Washington (2003–2004), compiling a careercollege football record of 55–51. Gilbertson retired in 2011 as a coach.
The son of ahigh school football coach, Gilbertson grew up inSnohomish, Washington, northeast ofSeattle. He graduated fromSnohomish High School in 1966 and attendedCentral Washington University inEllensburg,Columbia Basin College, theUniversity of Hawaii, and returned to Central Washington, where he received abachelor's degree in social sciences in 1971. He later earned a degree in education fromWestern Washington University in 1974.[1]
After three stints as a graduate assistant, Gilbertson became anoffensive coordinator in 1977 atUtah State under head coachBruce Snyder. After five seasons inLogan, he joinedDennis Erickson's new staff atIdaho, who immediately turned the Vandal program around in1982, going 8–3 in the regular season and advancing to the quarterfinals of theI-AA playoffs. Shortly after, Gilbertson departed for theLos Angeles Express of the newly-formedUnited States Football League (USFL), where he coached as offensive coordinator for three spring seasons. Following the demise of the league, Gilbertson returned to Idaho in1985, and the Vandals won their firstBig Sky Conference title infourteen years.
Erickson departed forWyoming in December,[2] and Gilbertson was promoted to head coach of the Vandal program.[3] In his three seasons inMoscow as head coach (1986–88), Gilbertson's win–loss record was 28–9 (.757), which remains the best inUI history.[4] His 19–4 (.826) record in conference play was the best-ever in the Big Sky.[5]
Following consecutive conference championships and advancing to theDivision I-AA semifinals, Gilbertson interviewed atUTEP in December 1988 but withdrew from consideration.[6] Days later, he accepted an offer to coach the offensive line in thePac-10 atWashington inSeattle under head coachDon James and offensive coordinatorGary Pinkel.[4][7][8] The compensation was similar to his Idaho salary, about $55,000;[7][9] Gilbertson replacedDan Dorazio on the UW staff.[10][11] After three wins to start the1988 season, the Huskies finished 6–5 and 3–5 in conference, with losses to theUSC Trojans, theUCLA Bruins, theOregon Ducks, theArizona Wildcats and theWashington State Cougars. Gilbertson's three-year stint concluded with the undefeated1991 national championship team, for which he was also offensive coordinator.[11]
Two weeks after winning theRose Bowl, Gilbertson became the head coach atCalifornia in January 1992.[12] Despite leading Cal to a 9–4 record in 1993 with a decisive victory in theAlamo Bowl, he was dismissed after his fourth season when the 1995 Bears went 3–8. Gilbertson's overall record at Cal was20–26 (.435).[13]
After Cal, he was an assistant coach for theSeattle Seahawks of theNational Football League (NFL) for three seasons (1996–98) under Erickson; the last two years as tight ends coach. In1999, he returned to the Washington Huskies as an assistant head coach under new head coachRick Neuheisel.
Gilbertson became the head coach at Washington in2003, following the abrupt summer dismissal of Neuheisel. His first season ended at 6–6; only a blowout loss to Cal in the next-to-last game of the season kept the Huskies out of a bowl game. The bottom fell out ayear later, in which the Huskies finished 1–10. He resigned prior to the end of the season but remained the head coach through their last games; his record at Washington was 7–16 (.304)[14] He then returned to the Seahawks as an assistant underMike Holmgren.
Gilbertson's overall record as a collegiate head coach is 55–51 (.519).
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Vandals football(Big Sky Conference)(1986–1988) | |||||||||
| 1986 | Idaho | 8–4 | 5–2 | T–2nd | LNCAA Division I-AA First Round | ||||
| 1987 | Idaho | 9–3 | 7–1 | 1st | LNCAA Division I-AA First Round | ||||
| 1988 | Idaho | 11–2 | 7–1 | 1st | LNCAA Division I-AA Semifinal | ||||
| Idaho: | 28–9 | 19–4 | |||||||
| California Golden Bears(Pacific-10 Conference)(1992–1995) | |||||||||
| 1992 | California | 4–7 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1993 | California | 9–4 | 4–4 | T–5th | WAlamo | 24 | 25 | ||
| 1994 | California | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1995 | California | 3–8 | 2–6 | T–8th | |||||
| California: | 20–26 | 11–21 | |||||||
| Washington Huskies(Pacific-10 Conference)(2003–2004) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Washington | 6–6 | 4–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 2004 | Washington | 1–10 | 0–8 | 10th | |||||
| Washington: | 7–16 | 4–12 | |||||||
| Total: | 55–51 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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