Defensive coach Wade Phillips says happy in current role at Houston Texans – NFL News
A couple of days before their first playoff game, Houston Texans get a boost from their defensive assistant coach, Wade Phillips’s confirmation of sticking with the team in his current role, inspite of the options of exploring job prospects elsewhere in
the National Football League (NFL).
His confirmation comes after their coach, Gary Kubiak, said earlier in past week that the team had granted permission to Phillips to interview to Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The coach had played down the hype, saying him being interviewed by the Buccaneers would not affect the team’s preparations for their weekend game.
Some reports have hinted at some of the Texans players not being happy over the news of Wade Phillips’ considering of his move to any other team on the league.
Phillips has earned a great respect from most of the Texans players for turning around their defence department from being down at 30th position on the league table to be the second best this season.
Some of the players have even credited the coach for making their dream of winning the division title and making it to playoff true despite that they have been through a number of injuries problems.
The Houston Texans won the American Football Conference (AFC) south division and reached the playoff round of the league in 2011 regular season, for the first time in their franchise history, and Phillips is considered the spotlight of their performance.
All of sudden consideration by the defensive co-ordinator of exploring opportunities for better prospects elsewhere made the Texans think of their future seriously and weigh their options in post-Phillips era.
However, the latest news disclosing his withdrawal from the race for a head coach at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has come as a big relief for the Texans management and players.
The Buccaneers finished the 2011 regular NFL season at the score of 4-12 on the league points table. One of the lowest points of their past season was their record 10-game losing streak that made the management to ponder upon the future of the team.
Their first act was the firing of the fulltime coach, Raheem Morris. They are in search for another coach to replace Morris, and Texans defensive coach, Wade Phillips, was a prospective candidate among other hopefuls.
With the Phillips’ withdrawal the race is left open to other candidates, which includes Minnesota Vikings coach, Brad Childress.
Away from their defensive coach’s worries, the Texans are now focused on their weekend game against the playoff veterans, the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens have played as many as three playoff seasons in last three years. This is their fourth straight, against the playoff minnows. It is very first playoff game for the Texans and they said to be ready to face the challenge, aiming for a win.
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