Wade Phillips

Wade Phillips was born June 21, 1947 in Orange, Texas.
It may have appeared to my Facebook friends that I don’t like former Dallas Cowboys’ head coach Wade Phillips. Coincidentally, a few days before Phillips was fired, I had ordered a copy of the book by his dad, “Bum Phillips, Coach • Cowboy • Christian.”

As a head coach, he took three teams to the NFL playoffs, and not many coaches can say the same. Wade Phillips was named the seventh coach in Dallas Cowboys history on February 8, 2007. Phillips has 32 years of NFL coaching experience - including seven full seasons as an NFL head coach and 20 years as a defensive coordinator.

In his seven plus years as a head coach, Phillips has produced a 70-49 regular season record and has guided his teams to four playoff appearances. He has had only one non-winning season as a head coach. His .588 career winning percentage in the regular season is third-best among active NFL head coaches with five-or-more years of head coaching experience entering the 2009 season. He trails only Bill Belichick (.616) and Andy Reid (.609) on the list of winningest active NFL head coaches.

Phillips has a wealth of NFL experience both as a defensive coordinator and head coach. The last seven times he has taken over as a head coach or defensive coordinator, his new team has reached the playoffs in his first season. Linebacker DeMarcus Ware earned first-team All-Pro honors for the second consecutive year under Phillips while establishing the club's highest individual sack total (20) since Harvey Martin set the team record with 23 in 1977.

The 2008 Dallas defense also compiled the following top-10 NFL rankings: pass defense (fifth, 187.7 yards-per-game), yards-per-play (fifth, 4.9), red zone defense (sixth, 26 touchdowns allowed on 56 opponents trips inside the 20), total defense (294.3 yards-per-game), third down defense (eighth, 35.6%), yards-per-passing attempt (ninth, 6.65) and first downs-per-game (ninth, 17.3).

The Cowboys tied the club record for regular season victories with a 13-3 mark en route to winning the NFC Eastern Division crown - the 20th division title in team history. While posting the first 12-1 record ever for a Cowboys team, the 2007 club closed the year with the NFL's third ranked offense and the ninth ranked defensive unit.

Under Phillips' guidance, the 2007 team also sent a franchise and league record 13 players to the Pro Bowl. Prior to his arrival in Dallas, Phillips served as the defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers (2004-2006). After implementing his 3-4 defensive scheme, Phillips directed a unit that improved each season, moving from 18th in the NFL in total defense in his first season to 13th in 2005 and then 10th in 2006. Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman was the leader of that group, topping the NFL with 17 sacks that year.

The team finished with 47 sacks, second-most in team history and tied for fourth in the NFL. During the 1998-2000 seasons as head coach in Buffalo, the Bills compiled a regular season record of 29-19. In three seasons in Buffalo (1995-97) before he became head coach, he delivered solid returns as defensive coordinator. As the defensive coordinator and head coach with the Bills, Phillips guided the stellar careers of future Pro Football Hall of Famers Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas.

Phillips was named Denver's head coach on January 25, 1993 after serving as defensive coordinator the previous four seasons. Phillips led the '93 Broncos to a playoff berth, but injuries decimated the club the following season which resulted in a 7-9 record - Phillips' only season with a losing record in five years as a head coach. Phillips was released by the club soon after the season finale and joined Buffalo as defensive coordinator shortly thereafter. Phillips' extensive coaching career also included stopovers at Philadelphia from 1986-88 as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach as well as defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints from 1981-85 - his first coordinator position.

Phillips' professional coaching career began in Houston in 1976 as the linebackers coach under his father, longtime NFL coach Bum Phillips. While working along side the elder Phillips, the Oilers introduced the 3-4 defenses to the NFL. After a year as the linebackers coach in 1976, Phillips moved to handling the defensive line responsibilities from 1977 to 1980. Phillips was then hired to coach the defensive line at Kansas State in 1975, his last season coaching in the college ranks.