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Wade Phillips
Wade Phillips
Personal information
Date of birth (1947-06-21) June 21, 1947 (age 76)
Place of birth Orange, Texas, USA
Career information
Position(s) Defensive Coordinator
Head Coach
Linebacker
College Houston
Head coaching record
Career record 82–59–0 (Regular Season)
1–5 (Postseason)
83–64–0 (Overall)
Stats
Coaching stats Pro Football Reference
Coaching stats DatabaseFootball
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1969

1970–1972

1973–1974

1975

1976–1980

1981–1985

1985

1986–1988

1989–1992

1993–1994

1995–1997

1998–2000

2002–2003

2003

2004–2006

2007–2010

2009–2010


2011-
University of Houston
(graduate assistant)
West Orange-Stark HS
(defensive coordinator)
Oklahoma State University
(linebackers coach)
University of Kansas
(defensive line coach)
Houston Oilers
(defensive line coach)
New Orleans Saints
(defensive coordinator)
New Orleans Saints
(interim head coach)
Philadelphia Eagles
(defensive coordinator)
Denver Broncos
(defensive coordinator)
Denver Broncos
(head coach)
Buffalo Bills
(defensive coordinator)
Buffalo Bills
(head coach)
Atlanta Falcons
(defensive coordinator)
Atlanta Falcons
(interim head coach)
San Diego Chargers
(defensive coordinator)
Dallas Cowboys
(head coach)
Dallas Cowboys
(Defensive Coordinator & Head Coach)
Houston Texans
(Defensive Coordinator)

Wade Allen Phillips (born June 21, 1947) is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. His career winning percentage as a head coach is .581.

Personal life[]

Wade is the son of former NFL coach Bum Phillips. Wade and wife Laurie have two children together. His daughter, dancer/choreographer Tracy Phillips, appeared as Helena in My Chemical Romance's music video for the song "Helena";[1] his son, Wes Phillips, is an assistant coach with the Cowboys.

Playing career[]

Phillips attended Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches, Texas, and went on to the University of Houston, where he was a three-year starter at linebacker from 1966–68. He held the school record for career assisted tackles[2] (228) until 2011 when the record was broken by Marcus McGraw.[citation needed]

Coaching career[]

Phillips began his coaching career as graduate assistant to Bill Yeoman at the University of Houston in 1969. From 1970–72 he served as defensive coordinator at West Orange-Stark High School in Orange, Texas. He then coached the linebackers at Oklahoma State University from 1973–1974, under his father who was OSU defensive coordinator at that time. In 1975, Phillips coached the defensive line at the University of Kansas.

NFL coaching[]

Phillips began his professional coaching career in Houston as the linebackers coach in 1976 for the team coached by his father, as well as defensive line coach in 1977–1980. He remained on his father's staff as the pair headed for New Orleans. Bum stepped down as head coach of a struggling Saints team in late 1985, and Wade stepped in as interim head coach. He spent the next three years as the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles and then four more in the same position for the Denver Broncos. Phillips replaced Dan Reeves as head coach for the Broncos in 1993, but was fired after a mediocre 1994 season in which management felt he lost control of the team.

The most successful coaching stop for Phillips was at Buffalo. He always kept the team competitive and in the playoff hunt. A loss to the Titans in the 1999 playoffs haunted Phillips for the rest of his time at Buffalo. Prior to the game, Wade caused a controversy when he inserted Rob Johnson as starting quarterback, after Doug Flutie was the starter the whole year and led the team to the playoffs.

He has the distinction of having been replaced by a father and a son from two head coaching positions – by Jim Mora at the New Orleans Saints and by Jim Mora Jr. at the Atlanta Falcons. He also has twice replaced Dan Reeves as a head coach.

On February 8, 2007, he was named the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, replacing the retired Bill Parcells. He was chosen after Jerry Jones interviewed 10 potential replacements, including former Cowboys and former San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner, former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and former Cowboys quarterback Jason Garrett. In the 2007 NFL Playoffs, he led the Cowboys to another playoff loss, making his playoff record 0–5. The Cowboys failed to make the playoffs in 2008, as the season ended with a 44–6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, preventing a wild card playoff berth.

Prior to the 2009 season, Phillips also took over as defensive coordinator, replacing the fired Brian Stewart. Phillips called defensive plays for the final 10 games of the 2008 season after Stewart was stripped of the responsibilities.[3] On January 9, 2010, Phillips's Cowboys defeated the Eagles in the wild card round, ending the club's 12 year playoff win drought (6 games total, Phillips was only coach for one of those losses) and earning Phillips his first playoff win. [4] Following the 2009 season, Phillips signed a contract extension through the 2011 season.[5] However, he was fired by the Cowboys on November 8, 2010 following the second worst start in franchise history (one win in their first eight games) punctuated by a 45–7 loss to the Green Bay Packers.[6]

On January 5, 2011, Phillips was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans replacing Frank Bush, who was terminated by Texans owner Bob McNair.[7]

Through 11 games of the 2011 NFL Season, Phillips has coached the Texans defense to 1st overall in the league after being in 30th at the end of the last season.

Head coaching record[]

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
NOR 1985 1 3 0 .250 3rd in NFC West
NOR Total 1 3 0 .250
DEN 1993 9 7 0 .562 3rd in AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to Los Angeles Raiders in AFC Wild-Card Game
DEN 1994 7 9 0 .437 4th in AFC West
DEN Total 16 16 0 .500 0 1 .000
BUF 1998 10 6 0 .625 3rd in AFC East 0 1 .000 Lost to Miami Dolphins in AFC Wild-Card Game
BUF 1999 11 5 0 .687 2nd in AFC East 0 1 .000 Lost to Tennessee Titans in AFC Wild-Card Game
BUF 2000 8 8 0 .500 4th in AFC East
BUF Total 29 19 0 .604 0 2 .000
ATL 2003 2 1 0 .667 4th in NFC South
ATL Total 2 1 0 .667
DAL 2007 13 3 0 .813 1st in NFC East 0 1 .000 Lost to New York Giants in NFC Divisional Game
DAL 2008 9 7 0 .562 3rd in NFC East
DAL 2009 11 5 0 .687 1st in NFC East 1 1 .500 Lost to the Minnesota Vikings in NFC Divisional Game
DAL 2010 1 7 0 .125 NFC East Fired in mid-season
DAL Total 34 22 0 .607 1 2 .333
Total[8] 82 59 0 .581 1 5 .167

References[]

External links[]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Paul Wiggin
New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator
1981–1985
Succeeded by
Steve Sidwell
Preceded by
Marion Campbell
Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator
1986–1988
Succeeded by
Jeff Fisher
Preceded by
Joe Collier
Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator
1989–1992
Succeeded by
Charlie Waters
Preceded by
Walt Corey
Buffalo Bills Defensive Coordinator
1995–1997
Succeeded by
Ted Cottrell
Preceded by
Don Blackmon
Atlanta Falcons Defensive Coordinator
2002–2003
Succeeded by
Ed Donatell
Preceded by
Dale Lindsey
San Diego Chargers Defensive Coordinator
2003–2006
Succeeded by
Ted Cottrell
Preceded by
Brian Stewart
Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator
2009–2010
Succeeded by
Paul Pasqualoni
Preceded by
Frank Bush
Houston Texans Defensive Coordinator
2011–present
Succeeded by
incumbent
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