After a week where it appeared Jerry Jones and Norv Turner were auditioning for the lead roles in "Stuck on You 2", Jones has changed directions and will soon announce that Wade Phillips will replace Bill Parcells as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Phillips has a 48-39 all-time record as a head coach, and his most recent head coaching stint came as an interim head coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2003. Phillips also served as the top dog with New Orleans (1985), Denver (1993-94), and Buffalo (1998-2000). Phillips most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the AFC West champions, the San Diego Chargers.
The move to Phillips isn't too surprising. Phillips shares Bill Parcells belief in the 3-4 defense, so all the defensive talent the Cowboys have acquired under Parcells won't be misused. In fact, Phillips could probably add a fresh voice to improve a defense that, while talented, faltered down the stretch in 2006, which led to their early playoff exit.
During the weekend, Norv Turner and Jerry Jones spent an inordinate amount of time together while they were waiting for, and then celebrating, the induction of former Cowboys WR Michael Irvin into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Irvin will be the 2nd "triplet" enshrined in Canton, Ohio, joining QB Troy Aikman. They will soon be joined by the NFL's All-Time leading rusher, Emmitt Smith.
Turner was the offensive coordinator for those Super Bowl teams in the early-to-mid 1990s, and the twice-fired head coach appeared to be a lock for the job. With the selection of Phillips, it's clear that something happened behind the scenes to prompt the move towards Phillips, and you've got to question whether or not Turner will ever get another shot at such a high profile coaching job. Turner is currently the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
Phillips becomes the 2nd coordinator to leave San Diego in the last few weeks. Former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron took over the head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins. Both coordinators were left alone by head coach Marty Schottenheimer, who only intervened when major decisions needed to be made (like challenging a clear fumble late midway through the 4th quarter of a playoff game). The departure of both Phillips and Cameron are severe blows to the Chargers.
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