| No. 19, 15 | |||||||||
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| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1940-08-03)August 3, 1940 (age 85) Jennings, Louisiana, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Lake Charles (LA) LaGrange | ||||||||
| College | McNeese State | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1963: undrafted | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
Playing | |||||||||
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Coaching | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||
Donald Carl Breaux (born August 3, 1940) is an American former professionalfootball player and coach. He playedcollege football atMcNeese State College and in theAmerican Football League (AFL). He served two stints as an assistant coach under head coachJoe Gibbs with theWashington Redskins of theNational Football League (NFL).
Breaux attendedMcNeese State University and was a standoutquarterback. He led the team in passing all four years from 1958 to 1961,[1] was a three time All-Gulf States Conference selection, led the league in total offense in 1960, and was the team's MVP in 1961 when they won the conference championship. In four seasons, he compiled 159 completions on 304 attempts for 2,279 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was inducted into the McNeese State Hall of Fame in 1984.[2]
He played professionally in the AFL for theDenver Broncos in 1963, where he was one of four quarterbacks and lost both his starts. He compiled 70 completions on 138 attempts for 935 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions; in a Nov 3 loss toBuffalo, he had 239 yards and 4 touchdowns which remains tied for the Broncos rookie record. He also appeared in seven games for theSan Diego Chargers in 1965, though he only reached 10 attempts in two of them, and logged two touchdowns to four interceptions on the season.[3]
Breaux was an assistant coach atFlorida State from 1966 to 1967, where he worked withJoe Gibbs underBill Peterson, men who would have a major impact on the rest of his career. Peterson had attended Chargers training camp to develop an advanced pass system, and hired Breaux as a natural fit.[4] Gibbs and Breaux reunited in 1971 atArkansas, where they became close friends after Breaux's "dramatic spiritual redirection."[5] He was hired to his first NFL coaching job with the Houston Oilers in 1972, once again under their new coach Bill Peterson. He remained a professional coach for 27 years.[6] Breaux is most remembered for his 17 seasons in two stints underJoe Gibbs, from 1981 to 1993 and again as offensive coordinator from 2004 to 2007. Gibbs credits Breaux with inventing the H-back position, revolutionizing the passing game, and being an instrumental part of threeWashington RedskinsSuper Bowl victories.[7] Gibbs described Breaux as a born coach, and Breaux once said "I don't recall ever wanting to do anything else."[7] Between jobs with Gibbs, Breaux was on the coaching staff of theNew York Jets in 1994,[8] andCarolina Panthers from 1995 to 2002.[6]