Wade Phillips' Big Personality Is Heart of Denver Broncos' All-World Defense
The Denver Broncos have been through a roller-coaster regular season on their way to Super Bowl 50. Led by one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history in the twilight of his career, Peyton Manning is on a quest for what is likely his final chance at a Super Bowl ring. The old saying goes "offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships," and that's why the Broncos have put their faith in an assistant coach with nearly 40 years of NFL experience who is making only his second trip to the Super Bowl.
After firing John Fox and bringing back veteran head coach Gary Kubiak to oversee another run at the Super Bowl, the Broncos continued their quest to get the band back together—something that doesn't always work in the NFL—with the hiring of Wade Phillips as their defensive coordinator.
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Phillips previously served as Denver's defensive coordinator from 1989 to 1992 before taking over as the 10th head coach of the franchise from 1993 to 1994. He began his 38th NFL season in 2015 and has spent 33 of those years as a defensive coordinator or head coach.
Kubiak knows what qualities stand out with his longtime friend.
"Wade is a great people person. He can lead groups real fast. Guys trust him," Kubiak said. "I just think he's been very consistent in his career as a coach, whether it was as an assistant or a head coach. He's just been very consistent as a coach and a person."
This is not your normal veteran coach.
Approaching every day at work with a smile, Phillips remains humble in his approach to coaching. While not a yeller, he commands the respect of his defense through knowledge, caring and listening. He demands the best of his players, and those expectations are usually met willingly by players who love to perform for him.
So what makes the mastermind behind Denver's defense tick?
Football in His Blood
Phillips is the son of longtime NFL coach Bum Phillips. After serving in the Marines in World War II, Bum became a football coach and gained experience as he worked his way up through high school, college and the pros. During his time at Texas A&M, Bum worked under coaching legend Bear Bryant as an assistant coach. He helped introduce the 3-4 defense as the head coach and general manager of the Houston Oilers in the '70s and then went on to become head coach of the New Orleans Saints in the early '80s.
Born in Texas back in 1947, Harold Wade Phillips was the oldest of six children—and the only boy in the group. As a young boy, football was a big part of his life, since his father was a high school coach at the time.
Phillips ended up playing linebacker for his dad in high school. Years later, after a college football career at the University of Houston, Phillips started his NFL career with the Oilers, working for his father. He coached the Oilers' linebackers in 1976 and instructed the team's defensive line from 1977 to 1980.
His father was arguably the most influential person in his life.
"My dad was my hero—not just my dad," Phillips said. "He was also my high school coach and my college coach. I worked for him for 10 years as a defensive coach and defensive coordinator. He was my head coach and the guy that I work for."
He smiled and continued: "Everything that I learned about football and about people and how to work with people was from him. It's a family tradition now. My son [Washington tight ends coach Wes Phillips] coaches for the Washington Redskins. We're a three-generation—I think we're the only three-generation NFL family that way. It all ties together."
Bum Phillips was a larger-than-life figure in the NFL. He would roam the sidelines with his 10-gallon cowboy hat and glasses securely in place, while his steely gaze scanned the playing field.
Per WadePhillips.net, Bum was once quoted as saying, "You show me a good teacher and I'll show you a good coach. Coaching is not how much you know. It's how much you can get players to do."
Kubiak says Wade is a lot like his dad, and anyone watching the Broncos defense this year can attest to that.
"They're a lot alike. I was a kid, I mean I was a ball boy working for his dad, but his dad was himself. Not many guys wear a cowboy hat on the football field.
"He was himself, and the players really clung to him. They trusted him. They played hard for him. I think Wade is the same way."
Wade doesn't wear a cowboy hat like Bum, but he shares that same smile—as wide as the Texas horizon. In addition to his love for the game, Wade also shares his father's belief about teaching first and coaching second. The way that Wade is able to turn things around quickly at almost every stop in the NFL shows how he can teach players in order to get the best out of them on the football field.
He has football in his blood, but he's also been able to pick up some things from some of the brightest defensive minds on his journey through the NFL coaching ranks.
His first job out of the shadow of his father came in 1986 when Phillips was named the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles. There he worked under legendary coach Buddy Ryan. It was Ryan's "46" defense that had taken the league by storm (and helped win a Super Bowl) with the Chicago Bears. Always the listener, Phillips was able to pick up things from Ryan that he still incorporates today.
A Year Away from the Game
With the success the Broncos defense has had this season, it's remarkable to think that Phillips went through the 2014 season without a job. He had one interview with the Washington Redskins early in their coaching search, but he did not receive an offer.
Several teams with openings that year made a huge mistake by not at least bringing the then-67-year-old to the building for an interview. This season, Phillips is showing once again how he can quickly make a positive impact.
Amazingly, this isn't the first time Phillips has been out of the league for a year.
"I was out of it one other year after I was let go at Buffalo and I went to Atlanta that year, we beat Green Bay in Green Bay. It was the first time that they'd ever lost at home in a playoff game," Phillips explained. "I've been out of it the year before. I knew I wanted to get back, and it was the same way this time."
Kubiak admits he didn't have to twist Phillips' arm to get him back into coaching: "No, he was ready to go. We talked numerous times. Wade made the comment, 'I'm going to be coaching somewhere next year,' in one of the first times we talked."
The Texas native has a passion for the game forged in almost 40 years of NFL coaching. Coming back to football wasn't just a choice but in ways a necessity.
"I love coaching. That's what I do. My wife, Laurie, wanted to get me out of the house after a year of being around, so I love what I do. So, I wanted to get back to doing that and I couldn't be happier."
Connecting with Players
At almost 70 years old, how does Phillips connect with his players? The answer is trifold: he runs an aggressive scheme that is player-friendly, the system trusts in the players within, and Phillips has fun coaching his players.
Veteran linebacker DeMarcus Ware had worked under Phillips previously when the two were in Dallas. When Phillips was hired, Ware knew exactly what the team would be getting—a defensive mentor who everyone could trust.
"When you look at Wade, he's that guy to where it's almost like a father figure," Ware said. "He's a guy that you want to play for and pour your heart out because you know how passionate he is for this game. If he has been coaching for 38 years and been productive, it's just a testament of how consistent he can be throughout his years of playing, and I'm glad to have him here in Denver."
Fellow pass-rusher Von Miller is succinct when talking about his defensive coordinator.
"I've said it before, it's easy to go to work for a guy like Wade Phillips."
The trust that Phillips shows in his players means a lot to them. Instead of micromanaging every little detail, he instead looks to his players to do their job to the best of their ability.
Defensive end Malik Jackson appreciates the faith that his defensive coordinator has in him.
"I think that it's just letting the players be who they are," he said. "Kubiak and Coach Wade are good at just letting us be who they are and just play through the system that they give us. They don't really make us be robots. They just let us be players and be playmakers. It's just giving us the opportunity just to let loose, be ourselves and do our thing."
Ware isn't the only current Broncos player to have played under Phillips before. Veteran defensive tackle Antonio Smith worked under Phillips during his time with the Houston Texans. Smith explained why he thinks Phillips is able to get the most out of his players.
"Wade, he studies you. He sees what you do best. If you can do [something the] best, then he wants to make his defense work best with you doing this. I think that freedom works well with what I do on the field."
Confusing, Simple, Aggressive
Three terms that sum up Phillips' defensive scheme are confusing, simple and aggressive. When offenses think they have him figured out, Phillips will do something completely different.
During the regular season, the Broncos had rushed three and dropped eight into coverage only 14 times. In the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, Phillips had the defense rush three and drop eight exactly 14 times—doubling the number on the season.
In addition to blitz schemes, Phillips tries to confuse opponents with man and zone schemes in the secondary.
"Good thing they're confused," he said. "That's good. I'm pretty confusing usually. We play a matchup zone and people think it's man-to-man. Then we play man-to-man and we play some basic zone.
"We say, 'Hey, you're playing this zone, but when a guy comes over there, you match with him. You pass it off, just like in basketball. When another guy comes there, you go there. That's the simple way to tell you how we played matchup zone.
"We play a lot of match zone, but people think we're playing man-to-man. Hopefully, that confuses them. It probably confused you already."
While opponents may be confused by Phillips' defense, the players working under him love the way the scheme trusts in their abilities. He doesn't bog down his players with complicated designs. Instead, he keeps things simple to allow for their natural playmaking to come through.
Starting cornerback Aqib Talib—one of the key players in arguably the league's most dangerous secondary—appreciates the way Phillips gets the best out of his players.
"There's not a lot of talking…[Phillips] calls a play, we line up and just go. There's not a lot of checks. There's not a lot of communication at all. His defense allows you to play so fast, it's paid off for us."
Phillips loves to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. While the NFL average for blitz-per-dropback percentage is 29.7, the Broncos send extra rushers after the quarterback on 41.7 percent of dropbacks.
As you can see in the table below, quarterbacks who go up against the Broncos defense have to get rid of the ball quicker. That's why they have a lower number in terms of time before pass (TbP) and time in pocket (TiP) columns. If passers hold onto the ball for more than a couple of seconds, the Broncos defense will make them pay.
| Sacks/Db | Blitz/Db | Press % | TiP | TbP | |
| Broncos | 8.1% | 41.7% | 34.7% | 2.18 | 2.38 |
| NFL Average | 5.9% | 29.7% | 27.3% | 2.29 | 2.49 |
Heading into the year, as a coordinator or head coach, Phillips had led 15 different top-10 defenses and worked with 24 Pro Bowl players. After the 2015 regular season, he has yet another top-10 defense and four more Pro Bowlers to add to the resume.
One of those Pro Bowl players, starting cornerback Chris Harris Jr., appreciates Phillips' straightforward style.
"He's a guy that really tells it how it is. If we don't have that right effort or that right mindset at practice, Coach Wade tells us that. He's not one of those coaches that try to strike fear to make you play better."
Harris emphasized, "He's been a guy that's been straightforward with us and lets us know what we need to do to get better."
Old Dogs and New Tricks
In a world where social media reigns supreme, Phillips is quite active on Twitter. He's a fun follow, with the Twitter handle @SonOfBum.
It's no surprise that he chose "Son of Bum" as his Twitter handle.
Phillips had a puckish grin when explaining his name on Twitter. "I picked it because I'm proud of being—a lot of people call me S.O.B., but that's a little different thing. I think it fits."
While many coaches stay away from social networking, Phillips was an early adopter of Twitter.
"When it first came out, I thought it would be interesting and I thought it would be something that maybe you could have fun with your fans.
"I was with the Cowboys then. I still have followers from the Cowboys and then some of them hate me now, and the same with the Texans. I try to be lighthearted about it. I never want to offend anyone."
Some of Phillips' tweets have ruffled feathers of opposing fanbases. That's not his motivation for using his smartphone to share his thoughts. "I don't do it for anything, but our fans to try to give them a little insight sometimes or say, 'Hey, we caged the Lions,' or something clever like that. Sometimes it's not always clever."
Not only is Phillips active on Twitter, but he has players reach out to him via social networking.
Earlier this season, veteran safety Shiloh Keo tweeted to Phillips after working out for the team.
Phillips is not in charge of personnel decisions—something he wanted to make clear after his Twitter replies blew up with prospective players.
"I've been getting a million tweets—'Hey, I can play football. I played flag football at somewhere'—so we need to back off on that. I'm not the guy that's getting him on the team," Phillips quipped.
Keo (since signed by the Broncos and key in their AFC Championship Game win over the Patriots) admits that his tweet was both a joke and strategy.
"I know with Wade, he's a jokester. He's a funny guy, and he likes to have fun. He shares a good relationship with most of his players, so it was kind of both ways. I was trying to reach out to him as well just to shop around and see what they were thinking."
Having Fun Is Part of the Job
Phillips isn't business all the time. He has a sense of humor that is on display quite often. That humor was evident in his introductory press conference, where he admitted, "I was a lousy head coach, but I'm a pretty good defensive coordinator and that's what I do well."
In the divisional-round playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 68-year-old was caught in the crossfire on one play. Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant ran over the Broncos defensive coordinator on the sidelines, sending the veteran coach head over heels.
Phillips (of course) comically described that play after the game.
"I got the big hit award…but what I did hear is Bryant is not going to play until next August. I hope he's OK, but I heard he's not playing anymore football for a while [laughing]. Yeah, I'm fine and I hope he's all right."
In addition to the character he shows at the podium in front of the media, Phillips also lets it loose it front of his players.
Linebacker Brandon Marshall revealed that Phillips is often seen dancing in the locker room.
"It's fun because Wade will come in the locker room, and if we have music on, he'll dance. He's one of the guys almost. He definitely always has a smile on his face, definitely is a joy to be around.
"He's a great coach."
With all that dancing, though, the Broncos haven't been able to make Phillips "dab" like Panthers quarterback Cam Newton does.
"No, we haven't made him dab yet. He did some other dances, though," Marshall revealed.
Not only will Phillips break off some dance moves, but according to Talib, he even knows some of the hip-hop playing in the locker room.
"He knows some of the music that we're playing when he walks past in the locker room and he's a funny guy. He'll grab the guys and pull them together in a heartbeat. He knows how to get our attention."
Phillips may be the oldest coach on the Broncos staff, but he's young at heart—and that comes through to his players loud and clear.
Strong safety T.J. Ward was quite complimentary of Phillips after a season under his guidance.
"Wade is a great coach. Not only is he a great coach, he's a great friend. Every guy on this defense is a friend of Wade's and vice-versa. He talks to his players, he communicates with us and he trusts us, so we trust him."
The Fruits of His Labor
The Broncos reunited with former coaches in order to make a run at the Super Bowl. They are now one victory away from winning the third championship in franchise history.
Kubiak appreciates the experience Phillips brings to the table in his team's pursuit of that third ring.
"For me, on a daily basis, there's not a situation Wade hasn't been in as a coach, as a head coach. I can pull from him all the time. Wade is also a calming influence. I think around guys he just has a way about him."
Kubiak concluded, "Guys get a lot of confidence and go play."
Phillips is getting another chance to coach in a Super Bowl after almost 40 years in the league. That's something not lost on Kubiak.
"I've known Wade for a long time, known his family, knew his dad, grew up under his dad as a kid," the head coach said. "For me to share this opportunity with him is really special. I'm very proud of him, the job he's done, the career he's had. I know he's really soaking up this week or these two weeks, really enjoying it."
Football is in Phillips' blood, and his long history in the pros could be rewarded with a world championship. He approaches all things with a positive attitude, and he has a humble opinion of himself—choosing to instead give credit to the playmakers on his defense.
The strength of the Broncos in 2015 has been their world-class defense. In order to snare another Super Bowl title, they are going to have to rely on that side of the ball once again.
And there's no question the Son of Bum will have them ready.
All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via the Broncos media department unless otherwise noted. Advanced stats via ESPN's employees-only database.
Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac. Transaction history provided by Pro Sports Transactions.
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