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Phillips Takes Medical Leave, Wants A HC Job
Per the Chron and elsewhere, Wade Phillips is taking a medical leave immediately but will return before the regular season is over. Reggie Herring will call the defense in his absence. He'll have a press conference after practice today.
In another story, Phillips says he loves coaching the Texans but he thinks their success is reason for him to get another head coaching gig. If he's available. my bet is San Diego, where he has previously coached and where Norv Turner is expected to be fired after the season. The Chargers have a history of hiring head coaches with previous head coaching experience and they have the talent to make a quick turnaround. |
My goodness! I hope he's OK, but can't we just have some peace and enjoy this great season we're having?
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Its a kidney issue.
Should be back in 10-14 days. |
Man this really sucks. I hope nothing else befalls us. Enough is enough.
I am completely selfish here. I hope Wade's efforts at landing a HC position does not bear fruit and he just stays with the Texans, with a hefty raise, perhaps. Kubs & Phillips make a helluva team. One that will get us to the SB if we can keep it in place. |
We can overcome the loss of Andre, Mario, Schaub, Leinart, etc but this is something else. Even Kubiak himself said that the defense is the catalyst and it all starts with Wade. To make matters worse this happens on a week when we face one of the most explosive offenses in the league. His absence will have a negative impact on their psyche .. put one in the L column
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I don't think it hurts our psyche at all. I think if anything the defensive guys play with more passion in a win one for the gipper setting.
But while the psyche should be fine, I think it is fair to worry about the actual Xs and Os. Herring may know Wade's defense as well as Wade does (it is not complicated), but calling the defense on Sunday is totally different than coaching it during the week. We are not currently constructed to play in a shootout, we face a very unique defensive challenge this week, and we are without the head of our defense. It is definitely concerning, but chalking it up as a loss is crazy. It is still a 10-3 team at home against a 4-9 team. These teams have been learning to win and lose all season. Our guys think they are supposed to win at this point. We will not likely be shaken by a rough turn of events. Carolina on the other hand has blown leads all season long and found a way to consistently lose. |
And I would have to think that his current health concerns will greatly damage his chances of landing a head gig next year. Teams were not lining up for 65 year old head coaches already, and the idea that they could lose their head coach at any point in the season will scare many away.
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Before he signs anywhere else, he will probably have to pass an insurance physical and he'll also need to be totally transparent about whatever health issues he has but I don't think it will keep him from getting an HC job if he is given a clean bill of health. I'd probably worry about his weight problem if I were an owner.
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From the Chronic:
http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans...after-surgery/ The Texans released a statement on defensive coordinator Wade Phillips this afternoon. It said: Wade Phillips has completed the surgery on his kidney and gallbladder. He is in stable condition. In order to respect his privacy, the family has requested there be no further information given at this time.” Phillips will miss the Carolina and Indianapolis games. He’s expected to return for the Tennessee game on Jan. 1 if he progresses as the doctors have told him. |
That he's gone for such a short time isn't such a bad thing. I think it may help the defense from getting complacent against (1) a Panthers team with a dynamic QB and (2) a Colts team that they could easily overlook to the Titans game.
And it isn't like the Texans will miss Wade's overall strategizing pre-game. I'm sure Herring knows exactly what Wade is thinking for these next two games. So no need to sound the alarm here. |
I'm not worried about the game or games that he's going to miss because of this weirdly secretive surgical procedure. What does annoy me is his publicly angling for a head coaching job while he is employed by the Texans as a coordinator. I don't mind that he wants to be a head coach. In fact, I'd be disappointed if he didn't. But to be talking to the media about wanting to be a head coach again in the middle of a season is only a step removed from the bullshit Jim Fassel pulled as OC for the Ravens.
Just STFU about your own future and tell the gathering crowd that you're thinking only about the Panthers or your gall bladder or your adorable Pomeranian or whatever. Don't go mouthing off about wanting to be a head coach again. Don't cause any more distractions for a team that has had more than its share this year. |
We know Herring has the X&Os expertise on the 1-gap version of Wades 3-4 alignment schemes, and Sundays game will provide an opportunity for Texans top brass to determine if Herring can successfully call defensive signals during a game ? After all they are gonna need to fill a soon to be vacated DC position.
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And considering that virtually every coach knows to give this type of pat answer, I think him going against the grain could be viewed as him trying to get the word out that he wants a head coaching job. Whether that's "angling," I don't know. Again, not that big a deal either way, but was a softball question I would have liked to have seen him answer better. |
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It wouldn't bother me at all if he went straight from the press conference to his office and got his agent on the phone and demanded that he line him up for one of the many head coaching vacancies that are appearing. Like I said, I expect him to want a HC job. I know I would if I were in his spot. But all in all I would much rather be bickering over subtleties regarding the inevitability of our coordinators taking head coaching jobs than arguing over how many of them should be fired like we've done every other December around here. |
1) What concerns me about Phillips' absence is whether the right adjustments will be made on defense after they see the Panthers' plans to attack them. Maybe they switch assignments or coverages. Will Herring know what to tweak?
2) I agree that Wade should have given a stock coaching answer instead of the truth but Wade and Bum are both genuinely honest people inclined to say what they think rather than hide behind coachspeak. Wade is in his 60s and his window on being considered for another job is closing quickly. Perhaps some GMs might assume he's too old to be considered for a new HC job (after all, most want to find a coach who will fill the job for the next decade or more) unless he says he wants consideration. I don't think he's as much in danger of leaving as we might think. What I worry about is having him get promoted in Houston the next time Kubiak makes a dunderhead decision. |
Wade said he had installed the gameplan for Carolina before he left. All Reggie Herring has to do is know when to call the blitzes in the game.
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What the hell now? Kubiak really pissed me off big time this game. this team was not prepared properly. Carolina got the momentum early with the Arian fumble recovery, and just kept on pushing. Kubiak could have been proactive, but instead he chose to be reactive all day. Against that background, this team never had a chance. The seven game winning momentum is now gone. It is much easier to maintain momentum than to try to reclaim it after a stupid loss in your own playpen.
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Well, the good thing we are now 10-4 , in the playoffs , and sice Baltimore, Jets, Bengals, Titans, Denver, and Oakland lost, as well as Green Bay and Giants we might still get first round bye and very likely home for first plaoff game.
And many of mistakes in execution made can be corrected. And like Andre, Brizelle, and Wade will be back in a few weeks. Not time to panic. Team had good practices last Thurs and Fri so not sure why we lost turnovee battle . Seemed guys were playing hard. So, I'm wondering does Wade really have that much positive influence when present on the sideline? |
the future HOFer Dan Orlovsky and company beat us in total offense and time of possession... not to mention he led a hall of fame comeback victory over our supposed top 5 defense.... get well Wade because this defense is clearly not the same without you. I hate that I'm right again but it's pretty clear now how important Wade is when we lose to the Colts.... oh man what a joke. Things are starting to go downhill fast.
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This team is broken on offense. We gave up 19 points which is a great effort. Not to mention they gift wrapped the only td our offense scored.
Our offense let us down again...in the redone again. Wade coming back won't fix how bad we've been offensively since schaub went down. |
How about this lil' nugget from Bum?
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So, Wade lost the kidney? News made it sound like they cut the growth off, but it didn't sound like the kidney went. Dang, Wade isn't a teenager anymore. That type of surgery is tough to get over even when you're not 68. Pretty impressive that he is back this quick.
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@NickScurfield: Phillips said he thinks he should be considered for HC jobs, but "this is the best job I've had. I'm not looking to go anywhere."
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@espn_afcsouth: Per @johnclayton: Wade Phillips will interview with Tampa Bay on Friday. #texans
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Not to mention you have a young QB in desperate need of a great offensive mind. If I am running TB my number one priority is getting Josh Freeman right. Wade cannot help at all with that.
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Seems to me any interviews should wait till after playoffs.
Poor timing could become a distraction. |
With all due respect to Wades skills, he's not a top candidate for a reason.
If you look at the openings left (assuming the reports of Fisher to the Rams are true), that leaves the Hags, Bucs, and Fins. Fins - Wade's not flashy enough. Bucs - As Barrett pointed out, they need some serious help on O. Jags - Unfortunately, I see this as his best opportunity. Knows the division, a key component of the Texans staff, and he will likely be a cheaper option, but has experience. But even with the Hags, they might lean towards an O to try to save Gabbert, if that's possible. But with the talent influx on D, he could be justified there fairly well. I hope he stays, and as bad as this will sound, I think his age, coupled with this health scare, may just keep him here. |
IMO, I don't think Wade really wants to leave, but Dallas left a bad taste in his mouth and the crap that happened in the media and everyone wants to prove they can when others say they can't. I think he wants to be ASKED to the dance, but would rather stay put, not to mention his health. We need to make him Asst. Head Coach and back up the Brink's truck and call it a day.
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If I had a team with Defensive issues, but a largely veteran offense, and I wanted to win now (like playoffs win), then I would consider Wade as an option. His returns are highest in the first years everywhere he goes. After a while he tends to lose a little control/discipline with the players.
Honestly, he would not have been a bad HC hire to replace Kubs if they had fired him last offseason. Wade gets his teams above .500 and to the playoffs. But I would not touch him for a rebuilding job (he is not long term), I would not trust him to get me over the top to a title (he never has in 25 years), and I would not hire him if I needed offensive help. If Andy Reid or Tom Coughlin had been fired for their defensive issues I think he could have stepped in and had immediate 11-12 win results out of either team without touching the offenses. But none of the current jobs really suit him. |
From SI's Peter King in the MMQB:
" The other openings ... I said Saturday the Bucs want an authority figure to clean up Raheem Morris' mess, and they like former Packer and Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman ... As Adam Schefter reported, Kansas City is likely to keep Romeo Crennel as the permanent coach after he went 2-1 as the interim man. I expect that to happen as early as this week ... Jacksonville's quiet, but I expect Dallas special-teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis and Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden to be in it at the end ... Hue Jackson (Oakland) and Jim Caldwell (Indianapolis) are in limbo until, respectively, a new GM in Oakland (Reggie McKenzie) learns the ropes and considers his options, and owner Jim Irsay picks a GM in Indianapolis. Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz1iyEXfYO6 An authority figure in Tampa seems like a really good idea with that mess, and that is certainly not Wade. Also, people seem to fail to realize that an interview DOES NOT consitute a job offer. Just cause thier chatting, doesn't mean he's bolting. |
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Sadly, that may be so. Wade wants one last hurrah. Tough to blame him.
I doubt seriously Wade is offered the job though. Mike Sherman seems to be a favorite, and myself, one of these days I keep thinking Jerry Gray will be a NFL head coach. |
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