Jim Skipper

Last updated

Jim Skipper
Personal information
Born: (1949-01-23) January 23, 1949 (age 75)
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, U.S.
Career information
High school:Brawley (CA) Union
College: Whittier
Career history
As a coach:
Record at Pro Football Reference

James Augustine Skipper (born January 23, 1949) is a former American football coach who was best known for being the running backs coach for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL) for 15 years (over two separate stretches). He was also the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants for three years, starting in 1997.

Contents

Early years

A native of Brawley, California, Skipper was an all-conference selection at Imperial Valley College, where he led the league in kickoff returns. He then transferred to Whittier College, where he played defensive back and he paced the conference in punt returns during his career. Skipper holds a B.A. degree in physical education from Whittier.

Coaching career

Skipper began his coaching career at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where he coached the defensive backs from 1974-1976. After coaching the defensive backs for two seasons at San Jose State University, Skipper moved to the offensive side of the ball, coaching the running backs at University of the Pacific in 1979. He then went on to coach the running backs at University of Oregon from 1980-1982 before he made the jump to the professional ranks.

Skipper started his professional coaching career with the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars of the United States Football League from 1983-1985. He then moved on to the National Football League with the New Orleans Saints - serving under Jim Mora in both roles.

Starting in 1986, Skipper served as the running back coach till 1995. During his 10-year tenure with New Orleans, Skipper coached two Pro Bowlers, Rueben Mayes in 1986 and 1987 and Dalton Hilliard in 1989. Mayes' 1,353 yards in 1986 and Hilliard's 1,262 in 1989 still stand among the 10 highest single-season rushing totals in Saints history.

Skipper took the head coaching role for the San Francisco Demons of the original incarnation of the XFL in 2001. He led the Demons to a 6-6 record and an appearance in the only Million Dollar Game would ever hold, won by Los Angeles Xtreme 38-6.

Skipper became the running backs coach for the Carolina Panthers since 2002. In 2009, Skipper helped make NFL history as two of his running backs, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, became the first set of teammates ever to rush for over 1,100 yards in the same season.

He was announced as the running backs coach for the Tennessee Titans on February 18, 2011. [1] He returned to the Carolina Panthers coaching staff in 2013, coaching running backs.

In the 2015 season, Skipper and the Panthers reached Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016. The Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos by a score of 24–10. [2]

After the 2018 season, Skipper announced his retirement from coaching. [3]

Personal

He has two sons, who are also football coaches: Tim Skipper, currently the interim head coach at Fresno State and Kelly Skipper, currently the running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills.

Head coaching record

XFL

TeamYearRegular seasonPostseason
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
SF 2001 550.5002nd in Western Division11.500Lost in Million Dollar Game
Total550.50011.500

Pro Bowl running backs under Jim Skipper

1,000 yard rushers under Jim Skipper

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Everett</span> American football player (born 1963)

James Samuel Everett III, is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected third overall in the 1986 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers. Unable to work out a contract agreement with Everett, the Oilers traded his rights to the Rams, with whom Everett played from 1986 to 1993. Everett then played with the New Orleans Saints from 1994 to 1996 and ended his career with a stint with the San Diego Chargers in 1997.

Robert Eugene Ladouceur is a retired American football coach. He began coaching the De La Salle High Spartans in Concord, California in 1979 when he was 25 years old. He took over a program that never had a winning season since the school's establishment in 1965. His first season as head coach resulted in their first winning season. His second season resulted in their first appearance in the California Prep Football State Rankings and began De La Salle's evolution into a perennial champion. From 1992 to 2004, he guided the team to 12 consecutive undefeated seasons, setting a national winning streak record for high school football of 151 consecutive wins—a record in US amateur sports exceeded only by the 159-game winning streak of Passaic High School in men's basketball and the 459 match win streak of Brandon High School in men's wrestling. Ladouceur was enshrined to the National High School Hall of Fame in 2001. His team topped the USA Today rankings five times and he is a three-time coach of the year. He retired on January 4, 2013 with a career record of 399–25–3. His .934 winning percentage is a record among coaches with 200 or more wins. Ladouceur is the all-time winningest coach in California high school football and has led the De La Salle program to numerous championships. A film about his life called When the Game Stands Tall was released on August 22, 2014. The film, which stars Jim Caviezel as Coach Bob Ladouceur, Laura Dern as Bev Ladouceur, Michael Chiklis as assistant coach Terry Eidson, and Alexander Ludwig as running back Chris Ryan, is about the record-setting 151-game 1992–2003 high school football winning streak by De La Salle High School of Concord, California. The film is an adaptation of the 2003 book of the same name by Neil Hayes and published by North Atlantic Books. Bob married Lissa Ladouceur on January 3, 2015. De La Salle head coach Bob Ladouceur retired in January 2013 after winning his last Open Division state championship in December 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeShaun Foster</span> American football player and coach (born 1980)

DeShaun Xavier Foster is an American college football coach and former player who is the head football coach for the UCLA Bruins. He played professionally as a running back for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Foster played collegiately for UCLA, earning All-American honors in 2001. He is a member the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earnest Byner</span> American football player and coach (born 1962)

Earnest Alexander Byner is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the East Carolina Pirates. He is now the running back coach of Out-of-Door Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wade Phillips</span> American football coach (born 1947)

Harold Wade Phillips is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). He has served as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and Houston Roughnecks. He has also served as interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and the Houston Texans. Additionally, Phillips has long been considered to be among the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. In his long career, he has served as defensive coordinator in eight separate stints with seven different franchises. Multiple players under Phillips' system have won Defensive Player of the Year: Reggie White, Bryce Paup, Bruce Smith, J. J. Watt and Aaron Donald. Others under Phillips have won Defensive Rookie of the Year: Mike Croel and Shawne Merriman. In Phillips' lone Super Bowl victory, a defensive player would be named Super Bowl MVP: Von Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Fox (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1955)

John Fox is an American football coach and former player who previously was a senior defensive assistant for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He was the head coach of the Carolina Panthers (2002–2010), Denver Broncos (2011–2014) and Chicago Bears (2015–2017) of the National Football League (NFL). He coached the Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII and the Broncos to Super Bowl XLVIII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeAngelo Williams</span> American football player (born 1983)

DeAngelo Chondon Williams is an American professional wrestler and former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Memphis Tigers, earning first-team All-American honors in 2005. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft. He starred in a dual role in Carolina alongside Jonathan Stewart, until Williams' release in the 2014 offseason. He then played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2015 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Harris (safety)</span> American football player and coach (born 1982)

Chris Harris is an American football coach and former safety who is the passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL draft after playing college football for the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Dalton Andrea Hilliard is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a running back for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) from 1986 to 1993. He played college football for the LSU Tigers and was selected by the Saints in the second round of the 1986 NFL draft. A Pro Bowl selection in 1989, he is a member of the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame.

Larry Coyer was an American football coach. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL) from 2009 to 2011. Prior to the Colts, he was the assistant head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and New Mexico State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Stewart</span> American football player (born 1987)

Jonathan Creon Stewart is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, earning All-American honors. Stewart was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft with the 13th overall pick. He played 10 seasons with Carolina, making the 2016 Pro Bowl, before spending one season with the New York Giants. Following the 2018 season, Stewart signed a one-day contract with Carolina and retired as a Panther.

Jeff Davidson is an American football coach who most recently served as the offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) and is also a former player. He has also spent time as offensive line coach of the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos and as offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns.

Reginald Wayne Herring is an American football coach and former player and most recently the linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A former linebacker at Florida State University, he began his coaching career in 1981. He has now coached for 36 years across college and the NFL. Herring arrived in Denver to coach linebackers in 2015 after previous stops in the league with Chicago (2014), Houston and Dallas (2008–10). Herring has coached nine linebackers who have made Pro Bowl appearances during their careers, including outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware (9), Mario Williams (4), and Connor Barwin (1), and inside linebackers Zach Thomas (7), Keith Brooking (5), Lance Briggs (7), Brian Cushing (1), Sean Lee (2) and DeMeco Ryans (2). Herring also served as the interim head football coach for the University of Arkansas in the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic.

The 2008 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 14th season in the National Football League (NFL). They entered the season and improved on their 7–9 record from 2007, winning the NFC South for the first time since 2003 and earning their first playoff berth since 2005. Their 12–4 finish tied their then-best record in franchise history, which occurred in the 1996 season, and later on tied in 2013; however, this would be surpassed by the 2015 club. The second-seeded Panthers were upset at home in the divisional playoffs by the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, 33–13.

The 2009 Carolina Panthers season was the franchise's 15th season in the National Football League (NFL). They failed to improve on their franchise-record 12–4 season in 2008 and also failed to make the playoffs. The 2009 Panthers are only the sixth team in NFL history to have two players rush for 1,000 yards: Jonathan Stewart (1,133) and DeAngelo Williams (1,117). It was also the first team in NFL history to have two players rush for more than 1,100 yards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Bush</span> American football player and coach (born 1963)

Frank Bush is a former American football linebacker and coach who is the linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL draft. He played college football at North Carolina State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vic Fangio</span> American football coach

Victor Mick Fangio is an American football coach who serves as the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Fangio also recently served as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. A 41-year coaching veteran with 33 seasons of NFL experience, Fangio was a defensive coordinator for 20 of the last 24 seasons at the NFL or college level before becoming the Broncos' head coach. He served as the Chicago Bears' defensive coordinator after leading the defenses for the San Francisco 49ers, Stanford University, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jurrell Casey</span> American football player (born 1989)

Jurrell Juel Casey is an American former professional football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans, and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvester Williams (American football)</span> American football player (born 1988)

Sylvester Williams Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Broncos in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he earned All-American honors.

References

  1. "Titans hire Jim Skipper as new running backs coach". ESPN.com. Associated Press. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  2. "Super Bowl 50 - Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers - February 7th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  3. "Panthers longtime running backs coach Jim Skipper retires". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 20, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2024.