Harry Gamble
{{Short description|American football coach and executive}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{for|persons of a similar name|Harry Gamble (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Harry Gamble
| image = Harry Gamble 1973.JPG
| alt = Posed black and white head-shot photograph of Gamble wearing a sport coat and tie
| caption = Gamble in 1973
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|12|26|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Pitman, New Jersey, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|1|28|1930|12|26|mf=y}}
| death_place =
| high_school =
| college = Rider University,
Temple University
| pastcoaching =
- Clayton HS (NJ) (1954−1957)
Head coach - Audubon HS (NJ) (1958−1961)
Head coach - Penn (1962−1966)
Line coach - Lafayette (1967−1970)
Head coach - Penn (1971−1980)
Head coach - Philadelphia Eagles (1981)
Volunteer assistant - Philadelphia Eagles (1982)
Special teams coach & tights ends coach
| pastexecutive =
- Philadelphia Eagles (1983)
Administrative assistant of coaching and personnel - Philadelphia Eagles (1984)
Director of football operations - Philadelphia Eagles (1985)
General manager - Philadelphia Eagles (1986−1994)
President & general manager - National Football League (1995−1998)
Director of football operations
| coachregrecord = NCAA: {{Winning percentage|35|55|2|record=y}}
| coachplayoffrecord =
| coachrecord =
| pfrcoach = harry-gamble-1
}}
Harry T. Gamble (December 26, 1930 – January 28, 2014) was an American football coach and executive. He was the head coach at the Lafayette College and University of Pennsylvania and general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Early life and career
Gamble was born and raised in Pitman, New Jersey. He graduated from Rider College, where he played offensive line. He later earned a master's degree and doctorate in education from Temple University. He served in the United States Army and was a player/coach at Fort Meade in 1953.{{cite news |last1=Barkowitz |first1=Ed |title=Harry Gamble Bio |work=Philadelphia Daily News |date=January 29, 2014}} He then served as head football coach at Clayton High School and Audubon High School and was named South Jersey Coach of the Year in 1960. In 1962 he joined the college ranks as the Penn Quakers' line coach.{{cite news |title=Gamble of Lafayette Named Penn Coach |work=The New York Times |date=December 6, 1970}}
College coaching
He was the head coach of the Lafayette Leopards from 1967 to 1970, compiling a 21−19 record. He then served as the head coach at Penn from 1971 to 1980, earning a 34−55−2 record. After the 1980 season, the school demanded he make changes to his coaching staff. Gamble refused and was fired.{{cite news |title=Colleges: Cipriano Dead at 49 |work=The Boston Globe |date=November 26, 1980}} He was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) in 1981 as an unpaid assistant coach (he was still being paid by Penn) under Dick Vermeil.{{cite news |last1=Roberts |first1=Ernie |title=Hagler wants $1 million to fight Hamsho |work=The Boston Globe |date=July 11, 1981}} In 1982 he served as the Eagles' tight ends and special teams coach and also held administrative duties.{{cite news |last1=Dolson |first1=Frank |title=Eagles Expected to Hire Harry Gamble as GM |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=February 3, 1985}}
Executive
In 1983, Marion Campbell replaced Vermeil as head coach and general manager Jim Murray was fired. Eagles' vice president Susan Tose Spencer gave Gamble the opportunity of move to the front office. Gamble, who served as administrative assistant for coaching and player personnel in 1983 and director of football administration in 1984, took over many of Murray's duties and was promoted to general manager in 1985.{{cite news |last1=Coult |first1=Aubrey |title=A Deserving Step Up for a Loyal Eagles Aide |work=The Morning Call |date=February 4, 1985}} He was the first person with a football background to serve as general manager since Pete Retzlaff in 1972. When Norman Braman purchased the team a couple of months later, Gamble was given the additional title of vice president.{{cite news |title=New Eagle owner takes helm |work=The Globe and Mail |date=April 30, 1985}} The following year, Gamble was promoted to president and chief operating officer – his third major promotion in 17 months and sixth in five years.{{cite news |last1=Cataldi |first1=Angelo |title=Partner is Bought Out by Braman |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |date=July 17, 1986}} Under Gamble, the Eagles became one of the most profitable organizations in sports and from 1988 to 1993 was one of the winningest franchises in the NFL; however, they were unable to reach the Super Bowl. When Jeffrey Lurie purchased the team in 1994, Gamble was kept on but was not part of Lurie's inner circle. He resigned on March 30, 1995, and became the National Football League's director of football operations.{{cite news |last1=Mulligan |first1=Kevin |title=Gamble Steps Down for NFL Job |work=Philadelphia Daily News |date=March 31, 1995}} He retired in 1998.{{cite news |last1=Mulligan |first1=Kevin |title=Whatever happened to ...: Harry Gamble |work=Philadelphia Daily News |date=August 8, 2002}}
Later life
Gamble spent his retirement as a league ambassador to Russia. He resided in Haddonfield, New Jersey, with wife Joan. One of his sons, Tom, was also an NFL executive. Gamble died on January 28, 2014, at the age of 83.{{cite news |title=Harry Gamble, former Eagles GM, Penn coach, dies at 83 |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/20140129_Harry_Gamble__former_Eagles_GM__Penn_coach__dies_.html |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=January 28, 2014 |access-date=January 28, 2014}}{{cite news |author=Frank, Reuben |title=Former Eagles executive Harry Gamble, 83, dies |url=http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/former-eagles-executive-harry-gamble-83-dies |work=CSN Philly |date=January 28, 2014 |access-date=January 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140130093859/http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/former-eagles-executive-harry-gamble-83-dies |archive-date=January 30, 2014 }}
Head coaching record
=College=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Lafayette Leopards
| conf = Middle Three Conference
| startyear = 1967
| endyear = 1970
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1967
| name = Lafayette
| overall = 4–5
| conference = 1–1
| confstanding = 2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1968
| name = Lafayette
| overall = 7–3
| conference = 0–2
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1969
| name = Lafayette
| overall = 4–6
| conference = 0–2
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1970
| name = Lafayette
| overall = 6–5
| conference = 1–1
| confstanding = T–1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Lafayette
| overall = 21–19
| confrecord = 2–6
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Penn Quakers
| conf = Ivy League
| startyear = 1971
| endyear = 1980
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1971
| name = Penn
| overall = 2–7
| conference = 1–6
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1972
| name = Penn
| overall = 6–3
| conference = 4–3
| confstanding = T–3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1973
| name = Penn
| overall = 6–3
| conference = 5–2
| confstanding = T–2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1974
| name = Penn
| overall = 6–2–1
| conference = 4–2–1
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1975
| name = Penn
| overall = 3–6
| conference = 2–5
| confstanding = T–6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1976
| name = Penn
| overall = 3–6
| conference = 2–5
| confstanding = T–5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1977
| name = Penn
| overall = 5–4
| conference = 4–3
| confstanding = T–3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1978
| name = Penn
| overall = 2–6–1
| conference = 1–5–1
| confstanding = 8th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1979
| name = Penn
| overall = 0–9
| conference = 0–7
| confstanding = 8th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1980
| name = Penn
| overall = 1–9
| conference = 1–6
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Penn
| overall = 34–55–2
| confrecord = 24–44–2
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 55–74–2
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Lafayette Leopards football coach navbox}}
{{Penn Quakers football coach navbox}}
{{Philadelphia Eagles general manager navbox}}
{{Philadelphia Eagles president navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gamble, Harry}}
Category:Lafayette Leopards football coaches
Category:Penn Quakers football coaches
Category:Philadelphia Eagles coaches
Category:Philadelphia Eagles executives
Category:High school football coaches in New Jersey
Category:Rider University alumni