Dan Reeves on Wade Phillips: 'Don't Mistake Kindness for Weakness'

from AOL FanHouse:

It's not a stretch to say that Wade Phillips and Norv Turner are two head coaches facing the most pressure in their first year on the job. Phillips replaces Bill Parcells in Dallas, and Turner takes over for Marty Schottenheimer in San Diego. The Chargers are arguably the most talented team in the NFL, but Cowboys fans don't suffer losing well. That said, most seem excited by the Phillips hire, particularly since he's considered an evil genius when it comes to the 3-4 defense. (I wrote last week that Parcells' version of the 3-4 didn't fool many opponents, which kinda makes winning a bit harder.)

But some people still wonder if Phillips is too much of a player's coach to succeed. He had mixed reviews in previous head-coaching stints (despite the winning record, benching Doug Flutie to start Rob Johnson is, well, insane, and worth ridiculing), but his laid-back persona doesn't mean he's soft. Just ask retired hardass Dan Reeves:
"Wade makes if fun for his players, but they better be serious when he's talking football," Reeves said. "You go into one of his meetings and there's no grab-ass going on or joking around. "You can be a player's coach and still be a disciplinarian."