Claude Gilbert

Claude Gilbert

Biographical details
Born	(1932-07-10) July 10, 1932
Alma mater	San Jose State University
Playing career
1950, 1955	Bakersfield JC
1957–1958	San Jose State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1959	Tulare (CA) Union HS (assistant)
1960–1962	Shafter (CA) HS
1963–1965	Bakersfield JC (assistant)
1966	Southwestern JC
1967–1968	San Diego State (OL)
1969–1972	San Diego State (DC)
1973–1980	San Diego State
1981–1983	San Jose State (DC)
1984–1989	San Jose State
1991–1992	Frankfurt Galaxy (DC)
1994	Albuquerque (NM) Highland HS
1995–1999	San Diego State (DC)
Head coaching record
Overall	99–56–3 (college)
Bowls	1–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4 PCAA / Big West (1974–1974, 1986–1987)

Claude L. Gilbert (born July 10, 1932) is a former American college football coach. He served as head football coach at San Diego State University from 1973 to 1980, and San Jose State University from 1984 to 1989, compiling a career record of 99 wins, 56 losses and three ties.

Gilbert graduated from Bakersfield High School in Bakersfield, California in 1950. He went to Bakersfield College for a year and played on the football team before serving in the United States Air Force for the Korean War. He returned to Bakersfield College, then transferred to San Jose State University in 1956 and lettered in football for two years with the San Jose State Spartans.

After serving as assistant to San Diego State coach Don Coryell for six seasons, Gilbert succeeded him as the Aztecs' head coach in 1973. He compiled a 61–26–2 record and won three conference titles, ranking second in Aztec victories and winning percentage only to Coryell. They finished 10-1 in both 1976 and 1977. 1977 also saw the Aztecs crush Bobby Bowden's Florida State team 41–16, and finish ranked 16th in the nation. During a transition from relying on junior college transfers to recruiting high school students, the Aztecs went 4–8 in 1980 and fired Gilbert in a controversial move.

Gilbert later became head coach at his alma mater, San Jose State, from 1984 to 1989. He compiled a 38–30–1 record with the Spartans, including a pair of consecutive 10–2 seasons in 1986 and 1987. Gilbert was fired from San Jose State following the 1989 season, for the same reason that San Diego State let him go. He won a wrongful termination suit against San Jose State in 1992.

Gilbert returned to San Diego State as defensive coordinator under Ted Tollner in 1995, and oversaw consecutive eight-win seasons, which was not achieved until 2010 and 2011.

Gilbert was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame in 2004, and into the Spartan Stadium Ring of Honor in 2006.

Head coaching record

College

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches#	AP°
San Diego State Aztecs (Pacific Coast Athletic Association) (1973–1975)
1973	San Diego State	9–1–1	3–0–1	1st		19
1974	San Diego State	8–2–1	4–0	1st
1975	San Diego State	8–3	3–2	3rd
San Diego State Aztecs (NCAA Division I independent) (1976–1977)
1976	San Diego State	10–1
1977	San Diego State	10–1				19	16
San Diego State Aztecs (Western Athletic Conference) (1978–1980)
1978	San Diego State	4–7	2–4	T–5th
1979	San Diego State	8–3	4–2	3rd
1980	San Diego State	4–8	4–4	T–4th
San Diego State:		61–26–2	20–12–1
San Jose State Spartans (Pacific Coast Athletic Association / Big West Conference) (1984–1989)
1984	San Jose State	6–5	5–2	3rd
1985	San Jose State	2–8–1	2–4–1	6th
1986	San Jose State	10–2	7–0	1st	W California
1987	San Jose State	10–2	7–0	1st	L California
1988	San Jose State	4–8	4–3	T–3rd
1989	San Jose State	6–5	5–2	T–2nd
San Jose State:		38–30–1	30–11–1
Total:		99–56–3
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth
†Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, or CFP / New Years' Six bowl. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll.

External links

• San Diego State bio (archived from 1999)
• Template:CFBCR