Joe Lombardi

For the basketball coach, see Joe Lombardi (basketball).
Joe Lombardi

Candid photograph of Lombardi wearing a grey shirt and white visor bearing a New Orleans Saints logo standing on a football practice field

Lombardi in 2009
New Orleans Saints
Position: Quarterbacks coach
Personal information
Date of birth: (1971-06-06) June 6, 1971
Place of birth: Seattle, Washington
Career information
High school: Seattle Preparatory
College: Air Force Academy
Career history
As coach:
Coaching stats at PFR

Joseph Philip Lombardi (born June 6, 1971) is an American football coach and former college player who is the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was fired by the Detroit Lions on October 26, 2015.[1]

Career

Lombardi joined the Saints as an offensive assistant in 2007, and became quarterbacks coach before the Saints' Super Bowl winning season of 2009.[2] During his time in New Orleans, starting quarterback Drew Brees set numerous passing records, including passing for more than 5,000 yards four times (three times with Lombardi as quarterbacks coach), and setting the record (now surpassed) for the most passing yards in a single season (5,476 in 2011). Before the Saints, Lombardi was a defensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons in 2006 under head coach Jim Mora.

Prior to coaching in the NFL, Lombardi coached at the college level at Mercyhurst College, Bucknell University, the Virginia Military Institute, and the University of Dayton. He coached for the New York/New Jersey Hitmen during the one year of the XFL.

A 1994 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Lombardi played tight end for the Falcons under head coach Fisher DeBerry. He lettered three seasons and started as a senior; he also lettered a season in lacrosse.[3][4] He served two years on active duty in the Air Force, during which he was a volunteer coach at Dayton.[5][6][7]

Lombardi was offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2015. On October 26, 2015, he was fired by the Lions, along with several other members of the coaching staff, after a 1–6 start to the season.[8]

He was re-hired by the New Orleans Saints to his original position.

Personal

Born in June 1971, Lombardi is the grandson of Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, who died the previous year and son of Vince Lombardi, Jr.[9][10] While he was with the Saints, the team won the Super Bowl trophy named for his grandfather in February 2010. In that Super Bowl, the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts, then led by head coach Jim Caldwell, who later hired Lombardi after becoming the new head coach in Detroit in 2014.

The youngest of four siblings,[11][12] all born in Minnesota, Lombardi also lived in Washington, New York, and Michigan.[13][14] While his two older brothers played high school football in New York and Michigan, Lombardi played in Seattle at Seattle Prep, and graduated in 1990.[15]

At age five in 1976, he had the attention of his paternal grandmother Marie (1915–1982),[16][17] who saw him from the same mold as his grandfather.[18]

Lombardi and his wife Molly have six children: three sons and three daughters.[19] He values his family and his Catholic faith.[20]

References

  1. Katzenstein, Josh (October 26, 2015). "Lions fire coordinator Lombardi, two OL coaches". Detroit News. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  2. Wine, Stephen (February 4, 2010). "Lombardi family has shot at another NFL title". Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  3. "Joe Lombardi: Quarterbacks". New Orleans Saints. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  4. "Joe Lombardi". Mercyhurst College Athletics. 2005. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  5. Dougherty, Pete (September 18, 2014). "Joe Lombardi building own NFL legacy". Packer News. Press-Gazette Media. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  6. Tiernan, Ricky (June 23, 2013). "New Orleans Saints' Joe Lombardi: his own legacy". Canal Street Chronicles. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  7. Wehrle, Phil (August 5, 2009). "Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi living family dream". NOLA.com. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  8. http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider-short/article-1/TWENTYMAN-Lions-reorganize-offensive-staff/e43f2473-06f7-44ea-a574-a4f41c520bac
  9. "Chip off the Block Vince Lombardi's grandson is playing college football". Sports Illustrated. November 4, 1991. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  10. Eskenazi, Gerald (March 30, 1982). "Lombardi's son is confronting an image". New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  11. Anderson, Dave (November 29, 1976). "Vince Lombardi's son". New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  12. Lewis, Mike (January 11, 2008). "Under The Needle: Meet Vince Lombardi, Seahawks fan". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  13. "Obituary: Jill Frances Lombardi". Minot Daily News. February 26, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  14. Carpenter, Les (January 28, 2001). "Evincing the Lombardi legend". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  15. Peoples, John (October 29, 1989). "Lombardi`s grandson gets no special treatment". Chicago Tribune. (Seattle Times). Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  16. Anderson, Dave (April 21, 1982). "Marie Lombardi was First Lady of pro football". Gainesville Sun. (New York Times). p. 5D.
  17. "Marie Planitz Lombardi". Find a Grave. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  18. "Marie Lombardi: more than the coach's lady". Milwaukee Journal. October 22, 1976. p. 4, football.
  19. Yuille, Sean (January 23, 2014). "A closer look at Joe Lombardi's coaching career". Pride of Detroit. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  20. http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/joe-lombardis-super-bowl-and-super-faith-stories/

External links

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