Wolf
100% Texan
With all the scuttlebutt Texans fans have been hearing about Wade Phillips over the past few days, it's probably a good idea to re-visit his bio and history as a defensive coordinator.
Phillips is a fairly known commodity but since he has such a long coaching resume (coached for eight NFL teams) it's worth going back to see what you might have forgotten about Bum's son as defensive coordinator (DC).
Wade's first gig as a DC was at New Orleans from 1981-85. He had followed Bum over there after Bud Adams unceremoniously fired Bum 30 years ago today after a playoff loss to the Chargers. Wade was Bum's defensive line coach during the Love Ya Blue era in Houston and was caught in the crossfire.
Old Oilers fans remember exactly where they were when Bum was fired. I was a young man of 22, filling up my 1978 Z28 Camaro at a gas station along the feeder near Almeda Mall - on my way to a job at Victoria Machine Works in Victoria, TX. It was very cold outside. That day changed my attitude toward Bud Adams forever.
During Wade's five years as DC in New Orleans, the Saints had top-five defenses (yards allowed) three times, but the Saints did not have a winning season during that period. Wade was running his Dad's 3-4 which was pretty stout during the late 70's.
After exiting New Orleans, Wade landed in Philadelphia in 1986 as the Eagles DC under Buddy Ryan. He spent three seasons coordinating Ryan's 46 defense in Philly, earning one playoff appearance in 1988. Phillips was replaced as Eagles DC by Jeff Fisher in 1989.
Given Phillips' record, it's clear that he's had proven success as a DC which is something the Texans have lacked since the team was introduced. He's a 3-4 guy by pedigree but has experience running hybrid schemes which might be necessary if he's hired by the Texans given their defensive personnel.
The move, if it's made by the Texans, isn't the worst thing that could happen but it certainly has a temporary, band-aid feel to it.
http://www.examiner.com/houston-texans-in-houston/the-book-on-wade-phillips