It has been reported by multiple outlets that Wade Phillips has been fired in Dallas. Given that the Cowboys sport one of the most talented and most expensive rosters in the league this year combined with just one win in their first seven games, Phillips’ firing should come as a surprise to no one (even if owner Jerry Jones did announce that Phillips was safe as recently as last week).

Obviously, with hindsight, this was a pretty rough hire. The Cowboys won all of one playoff game during the Phillips era despite having Super Bowl aspirations in each of the last four seasons. But we don’t need hindsight, it was pretty evident that this hire was terrible from the get go. Here’s why:

1) Phillips had already failed as a head coach twice. He didn’t win in Denver despite having John Elway as his QB. He didn’t win in Buffalo despite taking over a Marv Levy team that was regular ACC power during the ’90s. The most memorable thing he did in Buffalo was bench his STARTING QB (Doug Flutie) for a playoff game. Rob Johnson replaced Flutie and only went 10-22 while getting sacked 6 times. Think Flutie’s mobility might have helped against a ferocious Titans’ pass rush?

2) Phillips always has excuses. Since Day 1, when things go against his team, Phillips has always had an excuse to explain away the adversity. Even this year he explained away some early losses by pointing out that the Cowboys won every statistic category except for the score. Remind me, what’s the one stat that matters? Now, I am the first to admit that luck plays a huge role in sports. Inches and seconds have separated legends and goats. However, coaches should not take that mentality – at least not publicly. When a coach makes excuses, it tells the player that they did enough and it was just luck that went against them. The best coaches, the best players, and the best teams do not make excuses – they use bad luck as motivation to improve to the point that they do not need good fortune to beat the opponent.

3) This is more a minor thing, but I think it relevant. Phillips could always be seen on the sideline celebrating after things the opponent did – missed FGs, errant throws, dropped passes. I am sure that every coach in the league celebrates inside when these items occur. But the great coaches never became publicly happy (save for maybe in end-game situations) for plays that were more the result of good fortune than the direct result of quality play from their team. If the opponent misses a 30 yard field goal, it’s because they screwed up, not because you played well (saving a blocked kick).

Coaching is about being responsible. Being responsible for your players and their on-field play (and to a lesser extend the personalities that they have off the field). Wade Phillips has never accepted this responsibility, and that should have been evident early on.

Author Bio: – Felix Chesterfield Other Sites: Stainless Steel Reactors Used Process Equipment

Category: Sports
Keywords: wade phillips, dallas cowboys, stainless steel reactors, used process equipment