At long last, Wade Phillips secures Super Bowl ring
Ever since Bum Phillips took the defensive coordinator job with the San Diego Chargers in 1967, there have only been five seasons where a member of the Phillips coaching family hasn't been patrolling an NFL sideline.
There is almost 50 years of NFL coaching experience between Bum and his son Wade, but until Sunday, a Super Bowl title eluded them.
Unlike his father, who famously wore a cowboy hat on the sidelines, Wade has never stood out. He's quietly moved from city to city in search of a Super Bowl title, and after 40 years, the 68-year-old delivered his best work yet in securing a ring with the Broncos.
The Journey
Phillips' journey can only be described as long and winding. After starting out coaching the defensive line for his dad with the Houston Oilers in 1976, Phillips made stops in New Orleans, Philadelphia, Denver, Buffalo, Atlanta, San Diego, Dallas, Houston, and, finally, back to Denver.
He replaced Dan Reeves as head coach twice, once in Denver and once in Atlanta. Phillips himself was replaced as head coach with both a father and son, by Jim Mora in New Orleans and Jim Mora Jr. in Atlanta. He's been an interim head coach in three different decades, with New Orleans in 1985, Atlanta in 2003, and Houston in 2013.
There simply wasn't much Phillips hadn't done in his coaching career before Sunday, other than capture that elusive Super Bowl.
Painful Defeats
Phillips certainly had his chances to make it happen, though. He was the last head coach to take the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs, yet was forced to watch his Super Bowl aspirations disappear thanks to the Music City Miracle.
You won't find a Bills fan anywhere willing to concede the play was legal, but Phillips came under fire for starting Rob Johnson at quarterback instead of Doug Flutie, who started all but one game that season. Phillips would later contend it was Ralph Wilson's call, but the damage was done. He survived only one more year in Buffalo.
It was then off to Atlanta for a defensive coordinator role. The 2002 Falcons, with Michael Vick in his prime, fell short against the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round.
Phillips would eventually head to San Diego and the Chargers seemed poised to earn a trip to the big dance in 2006 with a 14-2 season. It wasn't to be, though, as they were shocked by the New England Patriots and went one and done in the playoffs. Phillips' defense intercepted Tom Brady three times that day, but it wasn't enough.
His work with the Chargers earned him a head coaching job in Dallas, and Phillips guided the Cowboys to a 13-3 record in 2007 and the NFC's top seed. Again, his team didn't get it done, as the upstart New York Giants sent the Cowboys home early.
Legacy
If the Broncos didn't beat the Panthers, Phillips' legacy would look a lot different. Instead of being viewed as a journeyman coach who never won the big one, Phillips is now the architect of one of the greatest defenses ever to carry a team to a Super Bowl.
The biggest challenge for a coach hoping to have long-term success in the NFL is adapting with the times. Phillips started his coaching career in the mid-'70s, when a defender could essentially maul anyone on the offense with little recourse. Now, the league has altered the rules in such a way that the offense is put in a favorable position in almost every situation. But Phillips has found a way to adjust his coaching style to suit modern play, and his team's performance Sunday is proof.
"He would be glad we kicked the door down," Phillips said of his father Bum, who died in 2013, after the game.
The door didn't stand a chance. Phillips had been knocking on it for 40 years.