Ability to fit in would serve Phillips well
11:06 PM CST on Friday, January 26, 2007
Kevin Sherrington
Bum Phillips never had to whip his boy but once, and frankly he can't even remember what that was for.
Unless it was the first grade. Wade's mother would take him to school in Nederland, Texas, and Wade would walk in the front door and straight out the back.
"He'd beat her back home," Bum says.
Finally, Bum got one of his seniors, a kid living with the Phillips family after his father was shot in a bar and his mother left town, to provide an escort. He'd stand outside and secure the perimeter until the teacher showed up to relieve him.
The escort, Leon Fuller, grew up to be one of the best defensive coaches the University of Texas ever had. Wade apparently remembered his containment techniques, because he hired Fuller in Denver.
Moral: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or at least that's what Jerry Jones seems to be hoping, anyway.
Only let's not presume what Jerry's thinking. He interviewed Wade, the San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator, on Friday, not quite 24 hours after he hired Jason Garrett to be offensive coordinator. Or head coach. We're not sure. What's worse, Jerry doesn't seem to be, either.
Good news: If Wade gets whatever position's left out at Valley Ranch, the Phillips family is used to dealing with what polite society would call eccentric owners.
Bum worked for Bud Adams in Houston. The Oilers are in Tennessee now, where they're called the Titans. But they'd probably still be the Houston Oilers if Bud hadn't run off Bum.
History: Bum coached the Oilers in the '70s during their "Luv Ya Blue" heyday, when he employed Earl Campbell as his personal battering ram. No coach in Houston sports history fit the city better than Bum. If Tom Landry's fedora was the symbol of the Cowboys and Dallas, Bum's buzz cut and jut jaw profiled Houston.
Bum never got the Oilers to the Super Bowl. He kept running head-on into Pittsburgh, the same club that gave the Cowboys fits.
Not that Houston fans held it against him. Only one man did. Maybe two.
Hey, Bum: What was it like working for Bud?
"It was different," he says, and sighs from his ranch in Goliad. "I never had an argument with him, though. Never. Not a single cross word."
The problems started when Bud hired a money man named Ladd Herzeg to run the team.
"The biggest mistake I made was giving him film and a projector," Bum says. "Before long, he knew more about football than I did."
Bum says Herzeg built a wall between him and Bud. "From '78 on," he says, "I never got to meet with Bud Adams."
And when they finally did meet in 1980, after an 11-5 season ended with a first-round playoff loss, Bud ordered him to hire an offensive coordinator. Bum refused. So Bud fired him on the spot.
Bum stood up, shook Bud's hand and walked out.
"I've never said a bad word about him since," Bum says.
But Houston fans held it against the owner. You think Dallas fans are still mad at Jerry for the way he fired Landry or the split with Jimmy Johnson? He's still getting his JerryWorld, isn't he? When Bud campaigned for a new stadium and threatened to pack up and leave if he didn't get it, fans donated boxes for the move.
Despite Bum's problems with Bud, an ability to work well and get along with others have long been Phillips traits.
Wade played for his father in Port Neches, Texas and at the University of Houston, where Bum coached defense and Wade was a 215-pound outside linebacker.
"And he was a slow two-fifteen," Bum says. "But he knew where to go to make a tackle, and he made the plays a lot of faster guys wouldn't have."
Wade coached for his dad, too, in Houston and New Orleans. He'd offer input and argue his point.
"But if I said no, he'd jump in and do it the way I wanted," Bum says.
The trait has served Wade well. He's been a successful assistant and a pretty fair head coach.
But could he be a great one for the Cowboys? First hurdle here is getting along with the owner.
Bum assures it wouldn't be a problem. Bum and Jerry go back a few years, to time spent in league meetings. Bum likes Jerry. Even calls him "a football guy."
"I really believe," he says, "that Jerry can be a head coach if he wants."
For old times' sake, Bum, and in light of your son's circumstances, we'll try to forget you said that.
Kevin Sherrington
Bum Phillips never had to whip his boy but once, and frankly he can't even remember what that was for.
Unless it was the first grade. Wade's mother would take him to school in Nederland, Texas, and Wade would walk in the front door and straight out the back.
"He'd beat her back home," Bum says.
Finally, Bum got one of his seniors, a kid living with the Phillips family after his father was shot in a bar and his mother left town, to provide an escort. He'd stand outside and secure the perimeter until the teacher showed up to relieve him.
The escort, Leon Fuller, grew up to be one of the best defensive coaches the University of Texas ever had. Wade apparently remembered his containment techniques, because he hired Fuller in Denver.
Moral: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or at least that's what Jerry Jones seems to be hoping, anyway.
Only let's not presume what Jerry's thinking. He interviewed Wade, the San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator, on Friday, not quite 24 hours after he hired Jason Garrett to be offensive coordinator. Or head coach. We're not sure. What's worse, Jerry doesn't seem to be, either.
Good news: If Wade gets whatever position's left out at Valley Ranch, the Phillips family is used to dealing with what polite society would call eccentric owners.
Bum worked for Bud Adams in Houston. The Oilers are in Tennessee now, where they're called the Titans. But they'd probably still be the Houston Oilers if Bud hadn't run off Bum.
History: Bum coached the Oilers in the '70s during their "Luv Ya Blue" heyday, when he employed Earl Campbell as his personal battering ram. No coach in Houston sports history fit the city better than Bum. If Tom Landry's fedora was the symbol of the Cowboys and Dallas, Bum's buzz cut and jut jaw profiled Houston.
Bum never got the Oilers to the Super Bowl. He kept running head-on into Pittsburgh, the same club that gave the Cowboys fits.
Not that Houston fans held it against him. Only one man did. Maybe two.
Hey, Bum: What was it like working for Bud?
"It was different," he says, and sighs from his ranch in Goliad. "I never had an argument with him, though. Never. Not a single cross word."
The problems started when Bud hired a money man named Ladd Herzeg to run the team.
"The biggest mistake I made was giving him film and a projector," Bum says. "Before long, he knew more about football than I did."
Bum says Herzeg built a wall between him and Bud. "From '78 on," he says, "I never got to meet with Bud Adams."
And when they finally did meet in 1980, after an 11-5 season ended with a first-round playoff loss, Bud ordered him to hire an offensive coordinator. Bum refused. So Bud fired him on the spot.
Bum stood up, shook Bud's hand and walked out.
"I've never said a bad word about him since," Bum says.
But Houston fans held it against the owner. You think Dallas fans are still mad at Jerry for the way he fired Landry or the split with Jimmy Johnson? He's still getting his JerryWorld, isn't he? When Bud campaigned for a new stadium and threatened to pack up and leave if he didn't get it, fans donated boxes for the move.
Despite Bum's problems with Bud, an ability to work well and get along with others have long been Phillips traits.
Wade played for his father in Port Neches, Texas and at the University of Houston, where Bum coached defense and Wade was a 215-pound outside linebacker.
"And he was a slow two-fifteen," Bum says. "But he knew where to go to make a tackle, and he made the plays a lot of faster guys wouldn't have."
Wade coached for his dad, too, in Houston and New Orleans. He'd offer input and argue his point.
"But if I said no, he'd jump in and do it the way I wanted," Bum says.
The trait has served Wade well. He's been a successful assistant and a pretty fair head coach.
But could he be a great one for the Cowboys? First hurdle here is getting along with the owner.
Bum assures it wouldn't be a problem. Bum and Jerry go back a few years, to time spent in league meetings. Bum likes Jerry. Even calls him "a football guy."
"I really believe," he says, "that Jerry can be a head coach if he wants."
For old times' sake, Bum, and in light of your son's circumstances, we'll try to forget you said that.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:08 PM
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