Phillips touts a winning record
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com
IRVING – At heart, Wade Phillips is a Texan, all the way down to the blackcowboy boots he wore during Friday's interview to become Bill Parcells' successor with the Cowboys.
Phillips, who was born in Orange, Texas, and went to Port Neches-Groves High School, met with Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones for almost six hours, attempting to convince them he is the right choice to be the next head coach.
Phillips, San Diego's defensive coordinator the last three seasons, posted a 45-35 record in head coaching stints at Denver (1993-94) and Buffalo (1998-2000) and was 3-4 in interim jobs with New Orleans (1985) and Atlanta (2003).
"I'm going to go on my record," Phillips said. "There aren't many winning head coaches, successful head coaches that come out of [multiple previous head coaching stints]. Usually, when you're gone as a head coach, it's because you haven't won enough games. I've won as a head coach, been in the playoffs three of the five years that I've been a head coach."
Two of those postseason appearances came in Buffalo, which has had only one winning season and hasn't made the playoffs since he was fired after going 8-8 in 2000.
The Cowboys are scheduled to interview New Orleans defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs today and San Francisco offensive coordinator Norv Turner on Sunday.
"Yeah, I'm excited," said Turner, who indicated that the 49ers want to restructure his contract and keep him so he can continue developing quarterback Alex Smith. "I want to come in and talk to them."
Phillips, 60, said Jones did not give him a timetable on when a decision will be made.
"He has other people to talk to, I know that," Phillips said. "We'll just wait. It's part of the process, but I don't think it's going to be a long, drawn-out process."
Phillips has been an NFL coach since 1976, serving as a position coach, coordinator or head coach with the Houston Oilers, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Denver, Buffalo, Atlanta and San Diego.
"I've got 30 years in the league and 25 as a head coach or coordinator, so that figures out to about 400 games where I've made decisions in games that I think impact the outcome," Phillips said.
Phillips, whose father, Bum, was an NFL head coach with Houston and New Orleans, said he would have no problem with the fact Jason Garrett already has been hired as offensive coordinator.
"Actually, in this day and time and in this situation, to get good coaches sometimes you have to put the cart before the horse," Phillips said. "In this situation, if you have good coaches, they're going to be gone if you don't latch on to them. I can see why you would go that direction."
As for the roster, Phillips said he would inherit a good situation.
"Bill Parcells was here and put together a solid team, that's pretty important already," Phillips said. "And they were in the playoffs last year, so that's a pretty good start for any new head coach coming in."
Phillips said he also met for an extended period with Parcells and Garrett.
"Bill said he'll help anyway he could, personnel-wise or anything," Phillips said. "We talked a little bit about personnel here, who could play and how well they could play. Those kinds of things, it helps. If I were to be here, I'd tap into him a lot more in depth about the players that are here."
Part of the Cowboys' interest in Phillips is the success of the Chargers' 3-4 defense. Over the last two years the Cowboys have selected personnel expressly for the 3-4 scheme – players such as nose tackle Jason Ferguson and bigger linebackers in DeMarcus Ware and Bobby Carpenter.
But Phillips' version of the 3-4 attacks more than the one the Cowboys have used. Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2006 and has been named to the Pro Bowl the last two years. In 2005, San Diego had the top-ranked run defense, and in 2006 they led the NFL with 61 sacks.
Phillips said he was impressed with Ware, who had 11.5 sacks in 2006.
"I like the 3-4. I've been coaching it a long time," Phillips said. "I think it gives you a lot of things, especially pass rushing that you can match up a lot. And you can also beat offensive blocking schemes. ... But ours has been pretty successful, and I think it will do well wherever it is."
Staff writer Calvin Watkins contributed to this report.
tarcher@dallasnews.com
IRVING – At heart, Wade Phillips is a Texan, all the way down to the blackcowboy boots he wore during Friday's interview to become Bill Parcells' successor with the Cowboys.
Phillips, who was born in Orange, Texas, and went to Port Neches-Groves High School, met with Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones for almost six hours, attempting to convince them he is the right choice to be the next head coach.
Phillips, San Diego's defensive coordinator the last three seasons, posted a 45-35 record in head coaching stints at Denver (1993-94) and Buffalo (1998-2000) and was 3-4 in interim jobs with New Orleans (1985) and Atlanta (2003).
"I'm going to go on my record," Phillips said. "There aren't many winning head coaches, successful head coaches that come out of [multiple previous head coaching stints]. Usually, when you're gone as a head coach, it's because you haven't won enough games. I've won as a head coach, been in the playoffs three of the five years that I've been a head coach."
Two of those postseason appearances came in Buffalo, which has had only one winning season and hasn't made the playoffs since he was fired after going 8-8 in 2000.
The Cowboys are scheduled to interview New Orleans defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs today and San Francisco offensive coordinator Norv Turner on Sunday.
"Yeah, I'm excited," said Turner, who indicated that the 49ers want to restructure his contract and keep him so he can continue developing quarterback Alex Smith. "I want to come in and talk to them."
Phillips, 60, said Jones did not give him a timetable on when a decision will be made.
"He has other people to talk to, I know that," Phillips said. "We'll just wait. It's part of the process, but I don't think it's going to be a long, drawn-out process."
Phillips has been an NFL coach since 1976, serving as a position coach, coordinator or head coach with the Houston Oilers, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Denver, Buffalo, Atlanta and San Diego.
"I've got 30 years in the league and 25 as a head coach or coordinator, so that figures out to about 400 games where I've made decisions in games that I think impact the outcome," Phillips said.
Phillips, whose father, Bum, was an NFL head coach with Houston and New Orleans, said he would have no problem with the fact Jason Garrett already has been hired as offensive coordinator.
"Actually, in this day and time and in this situation, to get good coaches sometimes you have to put the cart before the horse," Phillips said. "In this situation, if you have good coaches, they're going to be gone if you don't latch on to them. I can see why you would go that direction."
As for the roster, Phillips said he would inherit a good situation.
"Bill Parcells was here and put together a solid team, that's pretty important already," Phillips said. "And they were in the playoffs last year, so that's a pretty good start for any new head coach coming in."
Phillips said he also met for an extended period with Parcells and Garrett.
"Bill said he'll help anyway he could, personnel-wise or anything," Phillips said. "We talked a little bit about personnel here, who could play and how well they could play. Those kinds of things, it helps. If I were to be here, I'd tap into him a lot more in depth about the players that are here."
Part of the Cowboys' interest in Phillips is the success of the Chargers' 3-4 defense. Over the last two years the Cowboys have selected personnel expressly for the 3-4 scheme – players such as nose tackle Jason Ferguson and bigger linebackers in DeMarcus Ware and Bobby Carpenter.
But Phillips' version of the 3-4 attacks more than the one the Cowboys have used. Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2006 and has been named to the Pro Bowl the last two years. In 2005, San Diego had the top-ranked run defense, and in 2006 they led the NFL with 61 sacks.
Phillips said he was impressed with Ware, who had 11.5 sacks in 2006.
"I like the 3-4. I've been coaching it a long time," Phillips said. "I think it gives you a lot of things, especially pass rushing that you can match up a lot. And you can also beat offensive blocking schemes. ... But ours has been pretty successful, and I think it will do well wherever it is."
Staff writer Calvin Watkins contributed to this report.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:15 PM
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