Jason Gibson is entering his 16th season as the Head Coach/Director of Football Operations of the Columbus Lions and is the only head coach in franchise history.
The Lions are 124-66 under Gibson and have made the playoffs in 15 of 16 years. Gibson led the Lions to their 3rd NAL championship game four years. The Lions offense ranked 1st in almost every category. Gibson earned his 4th Coach of the Year award. In 2019, Gibson led the Lions to the playoffs again but ended with a road lost to the Jacksonville Sharks. Despite going through three different starting QBs, the Lions still managed to finish second in passing offense and 1st in red zone offense. The 2018 season saw the Lions limp into the playoffs after losing QB Mason Espinosa and all three starting wide receivers. The Lions still managed to make the NAL Championship for the third straight season falling to the Carolina Cobras. The Lions finished the 2017 season 5yds away from their 3rd straight championship as they lost to the Jacksonville Sharks 27-21. 2017 saw the Lions led the league in total TDs, Michael Reeve earned NAL Offensive Player of the Year and Kyle Griswould led the league in interceptions. With a 21 point 2nd half comeback at Lehigh Valley in the first round of the playoffs, the Lions proved they are still one of the top teams in the country. 2016 saw the Lions earned their 2nd consecutive league Championship with a 74-32 blowout of Western Michigan. Led by league leaders and MVP Casey Kacz and Michael Reeve, the Lions completed the perfect season going undefeated. 2015 ended with the PIFL Championship defeating the Richmond Raiders 64-38. In 2011, Gibson led the Lions to the SIFL Southern Division title and an 11-1 regular season record. In 2010, Gibson’s Lions won the SIFL Championship. The Lions swept the league awards that year as Chris McCoy won Offensive Player of the Year, Damian Daniels won Defensive Player of the Year, and Trey Crum won Special Teams Player of the Year.
Gibson has 14 years of high school football coaching experience. He currently is the head coach for the Glenwood Gators where he led them to the state finals in 2019 & 2020, semifinals in 2018 & 2016. He served two years as the QB/WR coach at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, MD; one year as the quarterback/wide receiver coach at Dudley High School in Greensboro, NC; two years as offensive coordinator at Western Guilford High School; and two years as head coach at Eastern Guilford High School. His efforts at Eastern earned him the Carolina Panthers 2004 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year award.
Gibson began his football career as a quarterback at Calvert (Md.) High School. He went on to play at Fairmont State University (W.V.) as a quarterback but moved to wide receiver for his sophomore through senior years. In his senior year, despite missing two games due to injury, Gibson finished seventh in the nation in receiving touchdowns while garnering all-conference honors and leading the conference in scoring. His single-season touchdown reception mark of 18 still stands in the Fairmont State record book.
His professional career includes stints with the BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League and the Marburg Mercenaries in the GFL Europe where he led the league with 24 receiving touchdowns. Gibson began his arena career with the Greensboro Prowlers of af2. He is the Prowlers' all-time leader in receptions, TD’s, yards, and second all-time in interceptions.
Gibson received a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice/Spanish from Fairmont State University in 1996 and received an education degree from North Carolina A&T University in 2005. He is on the board for the pastoral institute and active member of ALL -PRO DAD.
A native of Huntingtown, Md., Gibson is married to the former Sarah Blanton of Phenix City and resides there with their two sons, Gunnar and Jett and their daughter Steele.
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