Vince Gibson was a staunch Tulane fan to the end

    Former Tulane coach Vince Gibson was a good football coach.
    He was a far better man.
    Here’s all you need to know about Vince. In 1982, after a 4-7 season, Tulane fired Vince Gibson. Yet, there were few bigger Tulane fans than Gibson.
    Whenever I ran across Vince, one of the first items of conversation was Tulane football. He desperately wanted to see the Green Wave succeed.
    Over the years, I learned a lot from Vince Gibson. He would not complain in the face of tremendous difficulty.
    And, those difficult times began long before he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, the malady that would eventually take his life.
    Gibson had been ill before. What he was stricken with is private, but he continued to fight.
    Gibson also faced his share of problems in business, but you would never hear him complain.
    He always had a smile on his face. He would always ask me about my family and some close friends. His ability to display uncommon decency in the face of adversity was a trait I admired greatly.
    At Tulane University, Gibson’s hiring in 1980 was not popular. The Green Wave had just ended a nine-win campaign that included a Liberty Bowl game against Penn State. Head coach Larry Smith suddenly bolted for Arizona.
    Many Tulanians wanted a high-profile hire. Gibson was not their first, second or third choice.
    But, Gibson soon endeared himself to many in the Tulane community and local sports media.
    Since they are now both deceased, I guess I can reveal a little secret. Each week during the season, Vince would pick a game for Buddy Diliberto’s picks on Thursday on WDSU-TV. Often, “the coach” was right on.
    He and Buddy were fast friends. In 1982, days before the 3-7 Green Wave played Orange Bowl-bound LSU in Baton Rouge, Buddy said there was a better chance of “the Russians invading Kenner than Tulane beating LSU.”
    Final score: Tulane 31, LSU 28.
    In the tiny visitor’s dressing room in the southeast corner of Tiger Stadium, Gibson beamed.
    And, he had great fun reminding Buddy of just how wrong he was. But, it was all done with no bitterness and incredibly good humor.
    Days later, Gibson exited Tulane.
    Twenty-nine seasons later, Vince Gibson is still the last Tulane football coach to defeat LSU, and he did it in back-to-back seasons, 1981 and 1982. Those wins give Gibson an enduring spot in the Tulane record book.
    But, what I will remember about Vince Gibson has absolutely zero to do with football.
    He was a decent person. Vince was a true gentleman. And, when the end was near, he handled his departure the way you would expect.
    With dignity and class.
    Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at [email protected].