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Wade Phillips was named the seventh coach in club history on February 8, 2007. He brings to the Cowboys 30 years of NFL coaching experience, including five as a head coach and 20 as a defensive coordinator.
In his five years as a head coach, Phillips produced a 45-35 record and guided his teams to three playoff appearances. He has had only one non-winning season as a head coach. His .563 career winning percentage in the regular season is already in the top 10 among active NFL head coaches with four-or-more years of head coaching experience entering the 2007 season. He is just behind Brian Billick (.586) and Bill Belichick (.578) on that list.
Phillips has a wealth of NFL experience both as a defensive coordinator and head coach. One of Phillips strengths has been improving the teams he works with from Day One. The last six times he has taken over as a head coach or defensive coordinator, his new team has reached the playoffs in his first season. In all six of those instances he has never joined a team that was coming off a winning record. Not just a great defensive mind, in four of his five years as a head coach his teams ranked in the top 10 on offense.
Phillips understands what it takes to be successful. Over the last 18 years as a head coach or coordinator, he has been a part of only four teams that have had non-winning records. During that time he has worked with a defense that ranked in the NFL's top 10 eight times. In six of the last eight years he has worked with a defense that ranked in the NFL's top 10 against the run.
For the past three seasons, Phillips has served as the defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers (2004-2006). A master of the 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. His 2005 unit was the NFL's stingiest against the run, leading the league while holding opponents to a mere 84.3 yards-per-game. In his first year in San Diego, the Chargers were even stingier, allowing just 81.7 yards-per-game to rank third in the league.
The Chargers aggressive defense also cranked out a league-high 61 sacks in 2006, the second most in club history. It was the second straight year the defense had shown improvement in that category, going from 29 sacks in 2004 to 46 sacks in 2005 to the breakout year in 2006. Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman was the leader of that group, topping the NFL with 17 sacks this year.
When the Chargers won the AFC West and qualified for the playoffs in 2004 on the heels of a 4-12 season in 2003, Phillips kept his streak intact of helping to turn teams with non-winning records into playoff participants the following year.
At the end of his two-year term (2002-03) as defensive coordinator in Atlanta, he served as the interim head coach for the Falcons' final three games of the 2003 season after Dan Reeves was released from his contract on Dec. 10. Phillips posted a record of 2-1 as Atlanta's head coach, highlighted by a 30-28 victory at Tampa Bay that knocked the defending Super Bowl champions out of playoff contention.
Phillips' defense in Atlanta in 2002 mastered the big play. The team finished with 47 sacks, second-most in team history and tied for fourth in the NFL. They also had 39 takeaways - second in the league - including 24 interceptions - fourth in the league.
During the 1998-2000 seasons as head coach in Buffalo, the Bills compiled a regular season record of 29-19. Phillips took the reigns after a disappointing 6-10 finish in 1997 and reversed the team's fortunes by leading it to a 10-6 record and the playoffs in 1998. It was the most successful campaign of any first-year head coach in Bills history. His 1999 team led the NFL in total defense, went 11-5 and earned another trip to the postseason. The Bills finished 8-8 in 2002 - his last season in Buffalo. The Bills were 16-9 under Phillips' in his three years at the helm after the start of November.
In three seasons in Buffalo (1995-97) before he became head coach, he delivered solid returns as defensive coordinator. In 1996, the Bills led the NFL with 49 sacks and Bryce Paup was named league MVP after leading the league with 17.5 sacks. Buffalo's defense allowed a league-low 22 touchdown passes and 3.4 yards-per-carry, while ranking second in sacks (48), yards-per-play (4.3) and opponent completion percentage (.520).
Phillips was named Denver's head coach on January 25, 1993 after serving as defensive coordinator the previous four seasons. He led the Broncos to a playoff berth in his first season, 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. In addition to his two seasons as Denver's head coach, he served as the Broncos interim head coach for one game in 1990 and posted a win over Indianapolis (10/21/90).
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. From 1977-80 he coached the defensive line for the Oilers.
Phillips began his coaching career at his alma mater, the University of Houston, in 1969 as a graduate assistant. He then coached at Orange, Texas, High School from 1970-72. In 1973, he joined the Oklahoma State University staff coaching linebackers for two seasons. Phillips was then hired to coach the defensive line at Kansas State in 1975, his last season coaching in the college ranks.
Wade Phillips was born June 21, 1947 in Orange, Texas. He was a three-year starter at linebacker for the University of Houston from 1966-68 after a standout career at Port Neches-Groves High School in Port Neches, Texas. Phillips and wife Laurie have one son, Wesley, and a daughter, Tracy. | 