MVP Texas | Wade Phillips to Leave Houston?

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Written by Travis Pulver

Tuesday, 10 January 2012 17:57

Fans of the Houston Texans could not be happier after the team won its first playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend. After years of futility the right mixture of talent and coaching appears to finally be in place for the team to finally thrive.

If things go well for Wade Phillips when he interviews for the head coaching vacancy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the team might be forced to go back to the metaphorical drawing board.

Having been one for all or part of 11 seasons it is understandable that he would want to return to the position. His final season in Dallas was abysmal, but he has done well otherwise. In five of his eight full seasons as head coach he led his team to the playoffs (failing to record a win in all five attempts). Overall his record is 82-59.

The timing for the interview could not be worse as the team is trying to prepare for its first trip to the divisional playoffs, a tough match-up against the Baltimore Ravens. Houston lost early this season in a game that saw Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff kick five field goals to lead Baltimore over Houston 29-14.

“The playoffs are all about momentum,” cornerback Jonathan Joseph said. “You find a lot of teams that get hot early and they go to the playoffs, and they’re one-and-done. Then you find some teams that catch momentum late, and they ride it all the way to the end and find some way to get to the Super Bowl.”

Many fans feel they got that momentum with the win over the Bengals in the wild card round last week, but the news of Phillips’ interview is taking some of the win out of the team’s sails. Head coach Gary Kubiak is not concerned about the interview at all.

"I think it's a huge compliment," Kubiak said. "It's not a distraction. We all know Wade's track record and the job that he's done. That's not a surprise at all that somebody would want to visit with him about the head-coaching job..."

While it is understandable that Phillips would want another shot at being a head coach, he’ll have to take into consideration the opportunity that he is leaving behind. Should the Texans falter in the playoffs this season, they will likely be a favorite next season assuming that everyone returns healthy and no starters are lost to free agency.

What’s more important—being a head coach or winning a Super Bowl?

Of course, owner Bob McNair could make the decision to stay a little easier if he opens up the pocketbook…

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