Wade Phillips - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Won’t Consider Assistants For HC Job

January 2nd, 2017 at 12:13pm CST by Zachary Links

No one currently on the Broncos’ coaching staff will be considered for the newly-opened head coaching job, GM John Elway told reporters today. The Broncos are looking for a new head coach after Gary Kubiak announced that he’ll be stepping away from the position.

Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis served as interim coach when Kubiak was forced to miss a game in October, but he apparently won’t be getting an interview. Same goes for offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, even though Phillips has previous head coaching experience with Dallas. Elway says that he hopes to retain the team’s assistants, though Phillips’ contract is set to expire. It’s also not a given that the next head coach will want to keep the current staff in tact. Without naming names, Elway said are three or four candidates that the team is “excited about.”

Meanwhile, Kubiak confirmed that he is retiring from coaching – not just stepping down from his current job. An emotional Kubiak said he’ll find other ways to spend his time and also said that he’ll be “okay” despite speculation about his health situation.

Broncos Notes: Kubiak, Okung, Quarterbacks

December 31st, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos could look a bit different in 2017, and those changes could start with the coaching staff. Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post writes that both head coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will have to decide whether they want to return to Denver for next season.

Kubiak’s health could play a significant role in any decision. The head coach was hospitalized earlier this season with a “complex migrane,” and he previously collapsed during a 2013 contest with the Texans. Naturally, the 55-year-old claims that he isn’t focused on the future.

“I love this league. I love the Broncos. I love this work. I’m all in on the Raiders right now,” Kubiak said. “There will be time for reflection and all of that stuff next week.”

Meanwhile, Phillips’ two-year contract is set to expire following this season. The 69-year-old has been responsible for Denver’s stifling defense, but the coach could decide to hang it up after having coached 39 years in the NFL.

“We think the world of Wade,” Kubiak said. “Everybody knows the job that Wade has done. (Contracts) are things that will be addressed after we get through this week. But Wade’s a tremendous person and a tremendous football coach.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes out of the Mile High City…

The Broncos offensive line has struggled this season, and Wolfe writes that the organization will have to choose whether they want to “cut the cord” on Russell Okung and/or Donald Stephenson. The team has until the first day of the league year (March 9th) to pick up a $1MM option on Okung’s contract – which would then trigger a unique four-year, $48MM extension ($19.5MM guaranteed). “It’s not on me. We’ll get to that hurdle when we get there,” said Okung. “For now, we still have to play Oakland.”
Meanwhile, the Broncos could save about $3MM in cap space if they release Stephenson. The veteran has struggled in 2016, making only 12 starts. As Wolfe writes, the lineman has been responsible for three sacks and 11 penalties. “I work my butt off,” said Stephenson. “The problems definitely aren’t from not trying. I’m giving it all I got. There’s some things I’ve got to get better at.”
Besides fixing the offensive line, NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling believes the Broncos should prioritize fixing their run defense and solidifying the quarterback position. The organization could choose between Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch as their future signal-caller, or Wesseling suggests the team could make a move for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

Wade Phillips’ Contract Set To Expire

December 29th, 2016 at 7:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There is a chance that the Broncos’ season finale against the Raiders on Sunday will be Wade Phillips’ last game as Denver’s defensive coordinator. The 69-year-old isn’t mulling retirement, but his contract is about to expire, reports USA Today’s Tom Pelissero, who adds that Phillips and the Broncos weren’t able to reach an extension during negotiations last offseason.

At the time of their discussions with Phillips last winter, the Broncos were fresh off a Super Bowl championship that his dominant defense sparked. Phillips earned AP Assistant Coach of the Year honors as a result, though this season hasn’t gone gone as well for him or the Broncos. The club is 8-7 and won’t make the playoffs, but that’s hardly Phillips’ fault. Evidence: Despite losing Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan in free agency, the Broncos’ defense ranks first in DVOA (for the second year in a row), third in sacks, sixth in yardage and scoring, and ninth in takeaways.

Should Phillips join Jackson and Trevathan in exiting via the open market, it would end his second tenure with the Broncos after only two years. He was previously in Denver from 1989-94 – first as a D-coordinator and then a head coach – before serving in at least one of those roles with the Bills, Falcons, Chargers, Cowboys and Texans through the 2013 campaign. Phillips was also on Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak‘s staff in Houston, which – along with Denver’s immense defensive talent – might help the club retain him.

Without Phillips, the Broncos could turn to one of his assistants to coordinate their Von Miller-headlined defense, according to Pelissero. It’s perhaps worth noting, then, that the team called on linebackers coach Reggie Herring to handle play-calling duties for the majority of a 27-19 win over the Chargers in Week 8. The decision to elevate Herring on a temporary basis came after Phillips bore the brunt of a second-quarter sideline collision and left on a stretcher.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Broncos, Raiders

February 8th, 2016 at 7:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dean Spanos and San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer were scheduled to meet today in Spanos’ home, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Acee also reports the Chargers hired Fred Maas as a special adviser to Spanos, with the new hire being brought on to help the Chargers and San Diego place a measure on the November ballot regarding public funding for a new Chargers stadium.

Spanos wanted Maas to serve as the city’s liaison for stadium negotiations in 2014. After Maas withdrew his name from consideration, the Chargers’ chairman perhaps not coincidentally, expressed doubt to sources of Acee about a Chargers stadium solution in San Diego.

Special counsel Mark Fabiani will remain a part of these talks, Acee reports.

Here’s the latest coming out of the AFC West, starting with the Super Bowl champions.

As father Bum Phillips would say, son Wade Phillips has finally “kicked down the door” with his Super Bowl win. The Broncos defensive coordinator helped to lead one of the league’s most fearsome defenses in 2015, but it’s a union that almost didn’t happen. Head coach Gary Kubiak‘s first choice for the job was actually Vance Joseph, formerly a Bengals assistant who recently left Cincinnati to become the Dolphins’ DC. In fact, John Clayton of ESPN.com hears there is a clause in Phillips’ current contract that could have made him a consultant if Joseph would have joined the team as coordinator in 2016.
Von Miller is expected to receive the franchise tag, and Broncos GM John Elway is confident the sides can work out an extension agreement, Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press reports. “You never know, but we don’t want him to [leave]. We want Von to stay in Denver and we’re going to do everything we can to work it out,” Elway told media, including Stapleton. Miller, who will be 27 before next season, could command a deal potentially well north of the six-year, $101MM pact Justin Houston signed with the Chiefs last season. Houston’s negotiations became contentious at times. Super Bowl 50’s MVP told media, including Stapleton, he expects “peaceful” talks with the Broncos.
Although Roger Goodell told media the league was working to help Oakland and San Diego find stadium solutions to remain in their markets, league executive VP Eric Grubman told the San Jose Mercury News (via Mark Purdy) he had not met with Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf and doesn’t have plans to do so. Purdy took Goodell’s brevity regarding Oakland the commissioner does not hold the Raiders‘ current troubles in high regard. Mark Davis confirmed the Raiders are negotiating another one-year lease at O.co Coliseum, but the Raiders are a bit behind the Chargers at this point in terms of finding a long-term solution in their city.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Broncos To Hire Wade Phillips As DC

January 28th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

8:30pm: It’s a two-year deal, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post.

7:23pm: Wade Phillips is back in football. The Broncos have hired Phillips to be Gary Kubiak‘s defensive coordinator, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Phillips held the same job on Kubiak’s staff when the two were with the Texans a few years ago. Phillips ultimately wound up with two stints as interim head coach in his final year in 2013. The first came when Kubiak collapsed in the middle of a November game. The next stint came one month later when Houston relieved Kubiak of his duties and handed the reins to Phillips.

The 67-year-old also has a history with the Broncos as he coached the team way back when John Elway and Gary Kubiak were players. Phillips served as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator from 1989 through 1992 and as the head coach in 1993 and 1994, before being let go. Phillips had an even .500 record (16-16) during his time at the helm in Denver.

Phillips joins a team with five Pro Bowlers from this past season. As we learned earlier today, the Broncos seem likely to transition from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4. Fortunately, Denver already has a pair of very good edge rushers in Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware to help ease the transition.

It would appear that Phillips was not the first choice in Denver. The Broncos hired the coaching veteran after they were unable to land Bengals assistant Vance Joseph, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Coach Notes: Broncos, Phillips, Schwartz, Jets

January 27th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

As our offensive/defensive coordinator search tracker shows, hirings of OCs and DCs have slowed down a little in the last few days — the teams that headed into this past weekend with job openings on either side of the ball have yet to name their new coordinators, and in some cases those clubs may wait until after the Super Bowl to announce any official decisions.

Still, that doesn’t mean there’s no forward movement on any coordinator searches. An update out of Denver headlines our latest round-up of coaching-related items, so let’s dive right in….

Former head coach Wade Phillips is in Denver today to interview for the Broncos‘ defensive coordinator position, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who notes that Phillips coached the team way back when John Elway and Gary Kubiak were players.
While Phillips is a viable candidate for the DC job in Denver, the Broncos‘ top choice still appears to be Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports tweets that one potential scenario would see Phillips getting the job for 2015, then transitioning to a senior assistant role in 2016 when Joseph is freed from his contract in Cincinnati.
Former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz confirmed that he’s being selective about the next job he takes, as Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun writes. “I saw the opening up in Buffalo as a good opportunity, so I took it,” Schwartz said. “But no, right now, I can’t see myself doing anything else. Coaching is something I love, something I have a passion about. Another opportunity will present itself. I’m not too concerned.” Schwartz reportedly had two years remaining on his contract in Buffalo when the team let him go, which is perhaps contributing to his patient approach to finding another job.
Titans assistant receivers coach Kevin Patullo will be the new quarterbacks coach for the Jets, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Patullo previously worked with new Jets OC Chan Gailey in Buffalo.
Former Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell is currently considering multiple options, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The 49ers reportedly have an offer out to Fewell, and the Bengals could be in the mix as well, though Raanan writes that Washington may have the edge.
The Jaguars have fired running backs coach Terry Richardson and are interviewing former Raiders running backs coach Kelly Skipper for the newly-opened job, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Skipper worked with new Jags OC Greg Olson in Oakland.
Speaking of the Jaguars, their current defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker is drawing interest from other teams, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Earlier today, we learned that Rob Chudzinski, an offensive coordinator target for both the Rams and 49ers, would stick with the Colts and receive a new title.

AFC Links: Browns, Phillips, Williams, Jets

January 23rd, 2015 at 10:37pm CST by Rob DiRe

New Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo did not study quarterback Johnny Manziel before accepting the position in Cleveland, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

“I’ll be honest with you. I’m going to be flat out honest with you because it’s the only way I know how to be. I have not. I’ve not watched the games from last year with Johnny. Obviously, I studied Johnny coming out of college and spent some time with Johnny,” said DeFilippo. “I wouldn’t say it was a lot of time, but I spent some time with Johnny. He flew out to Oakland and spent a day with him. Can you get an overview on a guy in one day? No, but you can get a grasp of what he thinks and how he’s feeling and those things. I got along with Johnny when we met with him, but I can’t tell you that I’ve watched the games yet. No, I have not.”

This could mean DeFilippo is not convinced that Manziel will be the quarterback of the future in Cleveland. That point is only further confirmed when he admitted during his pressure that the quarterback situation is still in flux. “We’re not sure if our starting quarterback is in the building right now or not,” said DeFilippo. “If he is that’s great. If he’s not, that’s great too.”

Here are some more links from around the AFC:

The Browns are pursuing former journeyman quarterback Steve Walsh to be their new quarterbacks coach, writes Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1. Walsh has been coaching high school football for the past six years, but has turned down a number of opportunities to coach at a higher level.
The Broncos are still looking for a defensive coordinator, and one possibility could be former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips, writes Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). Phillips served as the Texans defensive coordinator for three years under new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, and the two could reunite in Denver.
The Broncos have not hired a defensive coordinator, but they have hired Bill Kollar as their defensive line coach, according to USA Today. Kollar spent the last six years coaching the defensive line for the Texans.
The Jets have a pressing need a cornerback, and new GM Mike Maccagnan will have a number of options to improve the position, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He writes they could go after Antonio Cromartie or Byron Maxwell in free agency, but an intriguing prospect in the draft could be Quinten Rollins of the University of Miami (Ohio).
Bills star pass rusher Mario Williams will be playing for a new defensive coordinator for the sixth straight year, writes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. With head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, the defense will switching back to a 3-4 base. Williams is excited to play outside linebacker. “I look forward to it,” he said. “So hopefully if (Ryan) hears this, this is my call-in: Will Linebacker. So hopefully it works out.”
Colts pass rusher Robert Mathis is still recovering from a torn Achilles that forced him to miss all of 2014, but there is no guarantee he will be back in time for next season’s training camp, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. “He’s still in recovery,” said general manager Ryan Grigson. “He’s a freak and you hope that he has an athletic genetic freak type of recovery so that he’s ready day one of training camp. But that information is not clear yet or a timeline is not there because it’s a tough injury. Hopefully in a couple months from now, we’ll be able to have some information on that.”

Broncos, Raiders Still Searching For DCs

January 22nd, 2015 at 5:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Pending the resolution of Dan Quinn’s tenure with the Seahawks, four teams are currently conducting a search for a defensive coordinator, as our 2015 OC/DC tracker shows. Two of those clubs reside in the AFC West, as the Broncos and Raiders are attempting to replace Jack Del Rio and Jason Tarver, respectively, and today we’ve learned a bit more about the DC hunts being undertaken in Denver and Oakland.

The Broncos initially targeted Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph as the top candidate to fill their defensive coordinator vacancy, but Cincinnati refused to release Joseph from his contract. Reports indicated that Denver would subsequently move on to interviewing other options, but we hadn’t heard any more news on the search until today, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports that the club has contacted longtime NFL coach Wade Phillips to gauge his interest in the position. Phillips, 67, worked with new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak in Houston from 2011-13, and many around the league expect a deal to be struck for Phillps to head to Denver, per Legwold.

Phillips, who started coaching in the NFL in 1976 as the Houston Oilers defensive line coach, has decades of NFL experience — he’s served as the head coach of the Broncos, Bills, and Cowboys, and acted as DC for a multitude of other clubs. He’s generally run a 3-4 front, which would require some personnel changes by Denver, who has run a 4-3 look in recent years under Del Rio. The club would have something of a head start on the schematic shift, as Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware are perfect fits as 3-4 OLBs, while free agent defensive lineman has the size to handle nose tackle.

The Raiders, meanwhile, have interviewed Mel Tucker and Eric Mangini (who has since accepted the 49ers’ DC gig) for their coordinator opening, while ex-Falcons head coach Mike Smith has been viewed as the favorite to land the job. However, Oakland might be unhappy with the results of its search, as Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 tweets that the club is now looking to the college ranks to fills its DC void. There’s no word on any specific NCAA candidates, but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes (Twitter link) the report means two things — that the Raiders have been turned down quite a bit, and that Del Rio intends to call defensive plays, meaning that the new coordinator would have less latitude.

Extra Points: 49ers, Gase, Phillips

January 21st, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers continued to pursue Adam Gase as offensive coordinator after bypassing him for their head coaching position, a source told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. They were not successful, however, as Gase landed with the Bears earlier tonight. More from around the NFL..

Former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips could draw interest from the Broncos and Raiders as a defensive coordinator candidate, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Raiders are hiring Marcus Robertson as their new defensive backs coach, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The team is still on the hunt for its next defensive coordinator, however. Veteran Charles Woodson pushed for the hire, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).
Former Raiders interim head coach Tony Sparano interviewed with the 49ers for their tight ends coach position, a league source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Bears met with a pair of Chicago natives at the Senior Bowl, according to Adam Jahns of the Sun-Times (on Twitter). Defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat (Iowa) and guard Laken Tomlinson (Duke) met with reps from the team.
Long rumored to be headed across the Bay, former Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is joining the 49ers as the team’s linebackers coach and senior defensive assistant, reports Jim Trotter of ESPN (via Twitter). While Tarver may have some input on the play-calling, the Niners are still on the lookout for a defensive coordinator.

Coach Updates: Shanahans, Bears, Bills, Jags

January 6th, 2015 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Mike Shanahan has already talked to the 49ers, Bills, and Raiders about their head coaching vacancies, and it sounds like he’ll have at least one more interview. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Shanahan will meet with the Bears about their head coaching position after the team hires a general manager, which could happen soon — Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times says the team has set a Saturday deadline.

As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter), there are multiple signs pointing to Shanahan as a viable candidate in Chicago. For one, Chiefs executive Chris Ballard is considered a strong contender to be the Bears’ next general manager, and he’d likely be pro-Shanahan. La Canfora adds that Shanahan and quarterback Jay Cutler have remained close, and believe they could thrive together.

According to La Canfora (Twitter links), while it’s possible that Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan ends up working for the same team as his father, the two men are charting their own courses, and aren’t shopping themselves as a package. The younger Shanahan is set to interview for the Bills‘ head coaching opening on Thursday, tweets La Canfora.

Here are a few more non-Shanahan coaching updates from around the NFL:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms (via Twitter) that in addition to Shanahan and Teryl Austin, Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will interview with the Bills this week.
Rapoport also has an update on Washington‘s defensive coordinator interviews, reporting that Chargers linebacker coach Joe Barry arrived in town yesterday to meet with the team, while 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell will speak to the club on Wednesday (Twitter links). Wade Phillips‘ interview for the Washington DC job is scheduled for Thursday, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com.
With no concrete updates to provide on the Jaguars‘ hunt for an offensive coordinator, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union suggests that head coach Gus Bradley either hasn’t shifted the search into high gear, or he’s secretly casting a wide net.