Wade Phillips has no regrets about tenure as Dallas Cowboys head coach
By Mike Dyce
Wade Phillips was the first scapegoat of many in the era of mediocrity for the Dallas Cowboys. His lack of postseason success overshadows his .607 winning percentage which is second in franchise history behind Barry Switzer’s .625, Tony Landry had a .605 winning percentage.
“Whatever’s happened, happened,” Phillips said. “And you learn from the past, but you go forward in the future with a great attitude. That’s part of life. That’s what you do. That’s what you teach players to do and that’s what I believe in. I enjoyed every day. … Jerry Jones was a great owner for me and did all the things that I asked him to do, so I don’t have any regrets.
“Sure, we would’ve liked to have won it all. That would’ve been better, but I know I did the best I could while I was there, and I don’t look back and say, “What if this would’ve happened?’ or ‘What if that would’ve happened?’”
They did win two division titles with Wade Phillips and 33 games in 3 years.
“Those are pretty significant things,” Phillips said.
Phillips tries to remember the good things about coaching and not the ugly end of his tenure.
“That’s part of the great thing of coaching, being around the players and liking the players and letting them know you like them,” Phillips said. “I’ve been around a lot of great players. Rickey Jackson, I was at his Hall of Fame deal. I didn’t get to Curley Culp’s this year, but it goes all the way back to Elvin Bethea and guys like that. They worked hard and you appreciated them, and hope they appreciated you a little bit.”
Dallas Cowboys veteran tight end and leader Jason Witten praised Phillips and called him “one of the classiest men I know.”
“I never had a coach pull for you as much as Wade did,” the Cowboys tight end said. “He wanted you to have success and he was selfless. It wasn’t about him. It was always about the players.”
His replacement hasn’t scratched the kind of success Phillips has had. Garrett has a record of 21-19 as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and never taken them to the playoffs.