Wade Phillips Fired By Dallas Cowboys: Top 10 Replacements

Wade Phillips has finally been fired after a rather unsuccessful stint with the Dallas Cowboys.

Phillips appeared to have little control over the team. He made several poor coaching decisions and never seemed to be able to provide the leadership the amount of talent truly needed to excel and reach their potential.

Phillips was a poor signing as a head coach to begin with and should have been let go long before November 8, 2010.

It is time to brainstorm on who his possible replacement will be next season.

10. Romeo Crennel, Kansas City Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 02: Defensive Coordinator Romeo Crennel of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on from the sidelines during the game against the Green Bay Packers on September 2, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie

Another defensive coordinator similar to Wade Phillips, Crennel did not have much success in Cleveland as a head coach. Still, Jerry Jones would still be able to control his staff and keep a defensive mind at the helm.

Crennel at least has some experience as a head coach and would be working with a much better team than he had in Cleveland.

Crennel is an unlikely candidate as he has proven to be a far better coordinator a la New England and Kansas City than a head coach.

9. Mike Martz, Chicago Bears

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CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Offensive coordinator Mike Martz of the Chicago Bears watches a play against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Im

Farfetched, but one can never count out Mike Martz. He somehow always receives consideration because of his track record from St. Louis.

The Cowboys already refuse to run the football, so not much would change with Martz at the helm. The Cowboys offensive line is better than any line Martz has had since his days in St. Louis and will better be able to protect Romo in the open offense.

I don’t expect it to happen, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Jones ever considered the move because Martz has had arguably more success than any other assistant.

8. Marty Mornhinweg, Philadelphia Eagles

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PITTSBURGH - AUGUST 26: Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the NFL preseason game on August 26, 2007 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The S

Mornhinweg has had the pleasure of being mentored by one of the better football minds in the league in Andy Reid. The Eagles, with Michael Vick running the show, have been much better than most people expected this season.

Mornhinweg will be able to bring an intelligent football mind to the Cowboys. He already has an understanding of the rest of the teams in the division, especially the Eagles, which he would be able to exploit when against them.

7. Charlie Weis, Kansas City Chiefs

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PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 28: Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis argues a call during their game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on November 28, 2009 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Jerry Jones could fall into the same trap as he did with Wade Phillips. Weis would be a similar fit for the Cowboys as Phillips was. Jerry Jones would still be able to control his team and his head coach.

Weis would be able to bring his offensive mind to team with Jason Garrett. Those two would create endless possibilities to exploit opposing defenses with the likes of Dez Bryant, Felix Jones and Jason Witten on the squad.

6. Sean McDermott, Philadelphia Eagles

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Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach Sean McDermott directs the defense against the Dallas Cowboys November 14, 2005 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles 21 - 20. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

McDermott has done a fine job with an Eagles defense that is not littered with talent. He has some pieces to work with but not the best, yet the Eagles have been getting it done this season. In Week 9, the Eagles handled the Colts pretty well.

McDermott, like Mornhinweg, would bring a great understanding of the rest of the teams in the division. He will also come in with the understanding of the Cowboys offense as he has had to study the team inside and out and give new insight to the team.

If Jerry Jones is willing to take a chance, McDermott might just be his man.

5. Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati Bengals

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CINCINNATI - 2009: Mike Zimmer of the Cincinnati Bengals poses for his 2009 NFL headshot at photo day in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by NFL Photos)

A player’s type of coach, Zimmer brings out the best in his men. His players want to play for him and perform to the best of their abilities.

Zimmer is a likeable and respected football mind. The Cowboys desperately need someone with his mental fortitude and somebody who knows defense.

He could work wonders with the amount of defensive talent the Cowboys possess. Zimmer brought the Bengals from one of the worst defensive teams in the league to one of the best last season.

Although they are having a down year, Zimmer would be a great fit for the Cowboys.

4. Rob Ryan, Cleveland Browns

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CLEVELAND - 2009: Rob Ryan of the Cleveland Browns poses for his 2009 NFL headshot at photo day in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by NFL Photos)

Rob’s brother Rex has been fantastic in New York.

Jerry Jones could try to recreate that magic with Rob in Dallas.

The Cleveland defense has played extremely well this season with limited talent, whereas the Cowboys have a ton of defensive threats Rob could excel with.

Jones could make a splash by hiring Rob, who is every bit as intense as any other assistant in the league and the type of leader the Cowboys desperately need to get over the hump.

3. Russ Grimm, Arizona Cardinals

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GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 30: Offensive line coach Russ Grimm of the Arizona Cardinals watches from sideline during a 21-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at University of Phoenix Stadium on September 30, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Terr

Grimm has been one of the better assistant coaches for some time now.

Quite simply, Grimm deserves a shot at being a head coach somewhere.

Grimm has seen a lot of success with the Steelers and Cardinals and will bring a winning attitude to Dallas that they haven’t seen in years.

Grimm would be towards the top of my list for assistant’s who are ready to take the next step and Dallas would be the prime place for him to succeed.

2. Brian Schottenheimer, New York Jets

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FLORHAM PARK, NJ - MAY 02: Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer of the New York Jets speaks to the media during minicamp on May 2, 2009 at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Arguably the top offensive coordinator in the league, Schottenheimer has coaching in his bloodline. Schottenheimer has been very successful in the league and has been ready to take the leap as a head coach for years now.

With the amount of offensive talent, Schottenheimer would be able to create tons of packages to exploit defenses. He will bring a level of success to Dallas. A strong leader, Schottenheimer would be able to rally the team and make sure they are on the same page, which is what Phillips failed to do in his campaign.

1. Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 31: (L-R) Head coach Wade Phillips and assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys looks on against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Cowboys Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by

Already the interim head coach and highest paid coordinator in the league, all signs point to Garrett staying as the head coach.

This could be a mistake for Jerry Jones. Jones put a ton of faith in Garrett’s abilities and football mind, yet they have failed repeatedly. A major reason the Cowboys have failed is because of Garrett’s game planning and offensive calling.

Still, when Jones has his mind set on something, he is determined to make sure it has every opportunity to pan out. Jones has been waiting for Garrett to take the reins of his team for years now and will finally have the chance to see what Garrett can truly do.