(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

When Joe Gibbs was able to coax Joe Bugel out of a three year retirement, Redskins fans everywhere shouted with glee. The Boss Hog had left the team in 1990, and was missed by every Redskins fan since

Though Gibbs left the team after the 2007 season, Bugel has decided to stay with Washington. This was a very lucky happening for the Redskins, and Dan Snyder must be applauded if he increased Bugel's salary to get him to stay.

Bugel is well known for his exploits an an NFL coach, but his journey to get to this point is also very interesting. Like many NFL coaches, Bugel had to pay his dues for several years as he learned his trade. His journey has led him to jobs with eleven teams in his 45 years in coaching.

Joe got his first coaching job at his alma mater, Western Kentucky University, the year after he graduated in 1964. He stayed at the school until 1968, moving his way up the coaching ladder. In a school that has produced just 17 NFL players in their history, Bugel was a coach of Dale Lindsey. Lindsey played nine years in the NFL, tied for the most years played by a player from the school.

In 1969, Bugel got a job with the United States Naval Academy to coach. One of the coaches on the staff was Steve Belichick, the father of current New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. He stayed with the team until moving to Iowa State University for the 1973 season.

The Iowa State team had several future NFL players on their team that year. Matt Blair, Keith Krepfle, Mike Stachan, Dave McCurry, Barry Hill, Dean Carlson, Tommy Campbell, and Randy Young all would go on to play at least one year in the league. Joe only coached there one year, because he would get a job at Ohio State University for the 1974 season.

While there his only season with the school, Joe helped develop an Buckeyes offensive line that saw three guards drafted into the NFL the next year. One of them was John Hicks, a guard who was the third pick in the entire 1975 draft. The line also had two more players who later would be selected in the first round in their draft years, Doug France and Kurt Schumacher.

This offensive line would help pave the way for Archie Griffin to win the first of his two Heisman Trophy Awards in 1974. Archie would gain 1,620 yards rushing that year, the most in his illustrious career. Though Ohio State lost to USC, in one of the most exciting games in Rose Bowl history, Bugel's work had gained the attention of the NFL.

The Detroit Lions hired Bugel for the 1975 season. Though the Lions used two of their first three picks on offensive linemen, the team was largely unsuccessful that season. They used three quarterbacks, and finished with a 7-7 record. Bugel was able to coax the Lions rushing game to accumulating the ninth most yards rushing in the league that year.

Detroit had two picks in both the first and third rounds the next year. One first round pick was used on fullback Lawrence Gaines, and Russ Bollinger was a guard drafted in the third round. Detroit replaced their head coach after the fourth game, and finished 6-9 for the season. One of the assistant coaches on the team was Bill Belichick.

Bugel was able to get the running game to be their best weapon. Gaines had the best season of his career, gaining 659 yards rushing, and Dexter Bussey led the team with 858 yards rushing. The job Bugel did in Detroit got him noticed by Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips.

Houston concentrated on their blocking for the first four rounds on the 1977 draft. Their first pick was offensive Tackle Morris Towns. Towns only played one game that season, but would start for Houston the next six seasons. He would later reunite with Bugel in Washington for four games in the 1984 season.

Their second round pick was on guard George Riehner, but his career was cut short from injuries after 27 games over four years. Houston had three picks in the third round, and drafted fullback Tim Wilson, tight end Jimmie Giles, and fullback Rob Capenter. Wilson became the best blocking fullback in the league, and Giles would be traded to Tampa Bay after one season. While at Tampa Bay, Giles would go to the Pro Bowl three times. Carpenter had a very good career, helping the Oilers win a playoff game in 1979.

The Oilers rushing attack was led by Carpenter and halfback Ronnie Coleman, along with center Carl Mauck. Houston would finish 8-6, and have the fifth highest scoring team in the league that year.

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