Wade Phillips Details Getting Fired by Jerry Jones in New Book

Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips discusses his time as the Dallas Cowboys head coach in his book, Son of Bum: Lessons My Dad Taught Me About Football and Life, including when he found out offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was making more money than him and his firing by team owner Jerry Jones. 

Deadspin provided an excerpt of the biography which was released Tuesday. The Texas native recalled asking Jones for one more chance to go out on a winning note before getting fired in the middle of the 2010 campaign.

"No, no, I've made up my mind," Jones said. "That's what I want to do."

Phillips took over the Cowboys in 2007 after previous head-coaching stints with the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons. His time with New Orleans and Atlanta were interim positions. He filled the same void for the Houston Texans in 2013.

The defensive guru went 33-15 over his first three seasons in Dallas before seeking out a contract extension from Jones before the 2010 campaign. He explained the circumstances surrounding Garrett's status that preceded his own talks with ownership, per Deadspin:

"

He got an offer from the Baltimore Ravens [in 2008], and his agent evidently went back to Jerry and said, "If you give him what Baltimore is paying him as a head coach, he'll stay in Dallas as offensive coordinator." Jerry matched the offer and now Jason was making more than me.

I asked Jerry about it and he said, "Well, you know, we had to keep him."

"That just doesn't seem right to me," I said.

"

Although Jones ended up giving Phillips more money, he did it by restructuring his contract to include an extra option year rather than a new long-term extension.

"I took the deal, although I still didn't think it was right," Phillips wrote. "Jerry can do what he wants to do as owner, obviously. I just didn't think it was right that an assistant coach was making more than a head coach."

Eight games later, with the Cowboys sporting a 1-7 record midway through the 2010 season, Phillips was fired and replaced by Garrett, who took over on a full-time basis in 2011 and remains the team's head coach heading in 2017.

Phillips has since returned to his bread and butter: coaching defense. He was named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year with the Denver Broncos in 2015, the same season the franchise captured its third Super Bowl title thanks in large part to the veteran coach's dominant defense.

Head coach Gary Kubiak retired from the Broncos after last season and Phillips was among the coaches not retained during the staff overhaul. The Rams picked him up after his Denver contract ended to lead their defensive coaching group.