| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1943-09-29)September 29, 1943 Burlington Junction, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died: | July 3, 2023(2023-07-03) (aged 79) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Maryville(Maryville, Missouri) |
| College: | Missouri |
| Career history | |
As a coach: | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 28–43 (.394) |
| Postseason: | 1–1 (.500) |
| Career: | 29–44 (.397) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Vincent Michael Tobin (September 29, 1943 – July 3, 2023) was an American professionalfootball coach who was thehead coach of theArizona Cardinals of theNational Football League (NFL). During his four decades of coaching, he primarily served as adefensive coordinator in the NFL,United States Football League (USFL), andCanadian Football League (CFL). He was also a defensive coordinator at his alma mater, theUniversity of Missouri, where he had playedcollege football as adefensive back for theMissouri Tigers.
Vincent Tobin and his brotherBill were both born on a farm nearBurlington Junction, Missouri. Their father, Ed, was basketball captain at theConception Junction, Missouri high school. The brothers both attendedMaryville High School, which is 16 miles from Burlington Junction, but the family thought their sports prospects would be much better at the bigger school, so they commuted each day to the school.[1] The brothers, who are two years apart in age, both played football at Maryville and theUniversity of Missouri.
Tobin was adefensive back for theMissouri Tigers and entered the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant with the team in 1965. He was Missouri'sdefensive coordinator from 1971 to 1976.
Tobin was the defensive coordinator for theBC Lions of theCFL and for thePhiladelphia / Baltimore Stars of theUSFL. The Stars appeared in all three USFL championship games under Tobin and head coachJim Mora, winning the last two in 1984 and 1985.[2] He helped in the advancement of futureHall of FamerSam Mills' professional football career.[3]
After the USFL folded, Tobin, along with seven other Stars assistants and head coachJim Mora, was hired by theNew Orleans Saints on January 28, 1986. He resigned four days later on February 1 to become the defensive coordinator with theSuper Bowl XX ChampionChicago Bears. He succeededBuddy Ryan who became head coach of thePhiladelphia Eagles one day after Tobin had joined the Saints.[4][5] While the Bears' defensive unit ranked among the league's highest during his tenure, they never achieved the same dominance as they did in 1985, with the team's only playoff wins coming over Ryan's Eagles in 1988'sFog Bowl and in 1991 against New Orleans. Following the 1992 firing of head coachMike Ditka, Tobin was released with the rest of the Bears coaching staff.
Tobin was hired in 1994 to be the defensive coordinator of theIndianapolis Colts by his brotherBill Tobin, the team's actinggeneral manager. He left the team following the 1995 season.
In 1996, Tobin became head coach of the Cardinals, succeeding Buddy Ryan again. His one winning season and playoff berth as a head coach came in 1998 when the club posted a 9–7 record. He then coached the Cardinals to their first playoff win in 50 years during the 1998 season by defeating the 3rd-seededDallas Cowboys. The team lost the next week to the 1st-seededMinnesota Vikings. After seven games of the 2000 season, Tobin was fired after posting a 2–5 record. His record in Arizona was 28–43, with a 1–1 postseason record.
In 2001 Tobin was hired as the defensive coordinator for theDetroit Lions, and the club posted a 2–14 record. He was fired after one season.
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| ARI | 1996 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th in NFC East | – | – | – | |
| ARI | 1997 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 5th in NFC East | – | – | – | |
| ARI | 1998 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in NFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Won Wild Card Round vs.DAL, Lost Divisional Round vs.MIN |
| ARI | 1999 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in NFC East | - | – | - | - |
| ARI | 2000 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 | 5th in NFC East | - | – | - | (fired) |
| ARI Total | 28 | 43 | 0 | .394 | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 28 | 43 | 0 | .394 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Vince Tobin's brother Bill Tobin was the general manager of the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts. Vince served as Colts defensive coordinator while Bill was general manager.
Tobin died on July 3, 2023, at age 79.[6][7]