Weeb Ewbank
When Sonny Werblin bought the New York Titans' American Football League franchise, he changed the team's name (to the New York Jets) and its coach, hiring Weeb Ewbank (1907-1998). Ewbank took over a team that had not had a winning record in its first three years, and made them into a force to be reckoned with.
As coach of the Baltimore Colts, Ewbank had won the 1958 and 1959 NFL championships. In 1965, the Jets' signing of Joe Namath added to the arsenal he would eventually pit against his former team in Super Bowl III.
His Jets won the American Football League Championship in 1968 with a victory over the defending AFL champions, the Oakland Raiders. In the third World Championship Game, the Colts (proclaimed by some to be "the greatest pro football team of all time") were heavily favored over the AFL's "overmatched" Jets. But with Weeb's confident planning, the Jets ran a game plan that mystified the Colts, and came out with a 16-7 victory.
In doing so, the Jets made Eubank the ONLY MAN ever to coach teams to victory in an NFL championship, an American Football League Championship, and a World Championship. His record in the AFL was 50-42-6. Ewbank was selected as the Head Coach of the All-Time All-AFL team, and is a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.
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Football Hall of Fame | IndianapolisColts | Indianapolis Colts | List of American Football League players | Miami University | NFL Hall of Fame | National Football League Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Professional Football Hall of Fame
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