Joe Gibbs Regrets Not Spending Enough Time With His Sons During His Years As a Football Coach

Joe Gibbs is one of the few figures to become a legend in two different sports. He won three Super Bowls as head coach of the Washington Redskins (now: Commanders), then went on to build Joe Gibbs Racing into one of NASCAR’s premier organizations. His résumé is as complete as any in sports. But even with that success, regrets remain.

Earlier this year, Gibbs spoke with former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, who asked if there was anything he had sacrificed or wished he had done differently to reach the heights of his career. Gibbs’ answer was simple and heavy: time with his family.

He replied, “I think the thing I will always second-guess the most is missing so much of Coy and JD’s growing up, games, and everything that they got to play because I was so focused on football. I wished I had handled that differently. The thing I second-guess I think the most about my life is that… the challenge has always been keeping the right priorities.”

He admitted that the demands of coaching and ownership often pulled him away from moments he can never get back, a realization that puts even the greatest achievements into perspective.

Gibbs has often said his ideal priority order is God first, family second, and career third. However, he has admitted that he didn’t always live by that standard during his career. That regret has only deepened with time, especially after the loss of both of his sons. J.D. Gibbs passed away in 2019 following a battle with brain-related health issues, and Coy Gibbs died in his sleep in 2022 due to unknown causes. Those tragedies have given his reflections on balance and priorities a profound and painful weight.

Following the death of J.D., Denny Hamlin raced and won the Daytona 500. After doing so, he placed J.D.’s name on the car as tribute. This turned the win into an emotional moment and immortalized the car forever. The No. 11 Toyota is preserved at the Joe Gibbs Racing facility as Gibbs considers the win the most important one in his career.

He reasoned, “This car is part of the most important victory that I’ve ever had in sports because it was all about JD at that point and everything that happened… JD actually found Denny. Racing late models in Manassas.” 

Coy is survived today by his son, Ty, who is a full-time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series.