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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | September 29, 1943 |
| Place of birth | Burlington Junction, Missouri |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Head Coach |
| College | University of Missouri |
| Head coaching record | |
| Career record | 28-43-0 (Regular Season) 1-1 (Postseason) 29-44-0 (Overall) |
| Stats | |
| Coaching stats | Pro Football Reference |
| Team(s) as a coach/administrator | |
| 1965 1971–1976 1977–1982 1983–1985 1986-1992 1994–1995 1996–2000 2001 2004–present |
University of Missouri (graduate assistant) University of Missouri (defensive coordinator) BC Lions (defensive coordinator) Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars (defensive coordinator) Chicago Bears (defensive coordinator) Indianapolis Colts (defensive coordinator) Arizona Cardinals (Head Coach) Detroit Lions (Defensive Coordinator) Green Bay Packers (Special Assistant) |
Vincent Michael (Vince) Tobin (born September 29, 1943) is a longtime American football coach and former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. He is currently a special assistant to the Green Bay Packers.
College coaching career[]
Tobin was a defensive back at the University of Missouri, and entered the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant with the team in 1965. He was Missouri's defensive coordinator from 1971 to 1976.
Pre-NFL coaching[]
He was the defensive coordinator for the BC Lions of the CFL and for the Philadelphia / Baltimore Stars of the USFL.
NFL coaching[]
Chicago Bears[]
His first coaching job in NFL was as the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears in 1986, one year following their legendary 1985 Super Bowl winning season. Tobin filled the role left by legendary defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who had left the team to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Bear's defensive unit ranked among the league's highest during his tenure, they never achieved the same dominance as they did in 1985, the teams one playoff win coming over Ryan's Eagles in 1988's Fog Bowl. Following the 1992 firing of head coach Mike Ditka, Tobin was released with the rest of the Bears coaching staff.
Indianapolis Colts[]
Tobin was hired in 1994 to be the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts by his brother Bill Tobin, the teams acting general manager. He left the team following the 1995 season.
Arizona Cardinals[]
He was the head coach of the Cardinals in 1996. His one winning season and playoff berth as a head coach came in 1998 where 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-seeded Dallas Cowboys. The team lost the next week to the 1st-seeded Minnesota Vikings. After 7 games into the 2000 season, Tobin was fired after posting a 2-5 record. His record in Arizona was 28-43, with a 1-1 post season record.
Detroit Lions[]
In 2001 Tobin was hired as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, where the club posted a 2-14 record. He was fired after 1 season.
Green Bay Packers[]
He was hired by head coach Mike Sherman in 2004 as a special assistant to the Green Bay Packers.
Head Coaching Record[]
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| ARZ | 1996 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 4th in NFC East | - | - | - | |
| ARZ | 1997 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 5th in NFC East | - | - | - | |
| ARZ | 1998 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in NFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Won Wild Card Round vs. DAL, Lost Divisional Round vs. MIN |
| ARZ | 1999 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in NFC East | - | - | - | - |
| ARZ | 2000 | 2 | 5 | 0 | .286 | 5th in NFC East | - | - | - | (fired) |
| Total | 28 | 43 | 0 | .394 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Personal[]
Vince Tobin's brother is Bill Tobin. Bill was the general manager of the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts. Vince served as the Colts defensive coordinator while Bill was general manager.
External links[]
- Biography at Packers.com
- Pro Football Reference – Cardinals statistics under Tobin
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Buddy Ryan |
Chicago Bears Defensive Coordinators 1986-1992 |
Succeeded by Bob Slowik |
| Preceded by Rick Venturi |
Indianapolis Colts Defensive Coordinators 1994-1995 |
Succeeded by Jim Johnson |
| Preceded by Larry Peccatiello |
Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinators 2001 |
Succeeded by Kurt Schottenheimer |