Ex-Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips Returns to Texas Pro Football

Phillips won't be back in Dallas, but a familiar locale has come calling.

Wade Phillips will once again assume the primary headset for a Texas-based professional football team.

Phillips, the former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, will serve as the boss of the Houston team in the upcoming third edition of the XFL. The rebooted league, whose ownership is now headlined by entertainer Dwayne Johnson and his business partner Dany Garcia, placed Phillips in Houston as part of a series of announcements concerning its February 2023 kickoff.

Nicknames for the eight teams will be unveiled at a later date.

The 75-year-old Phillips spent parts of four seasons (2007-10) at the Cowboys' helm, amassing a 35-24 record. Though his tenure ended in disappointment (becoming the first Cowboys coach fired in the middle of the season after starting 1-7 in 2010), Phillips guided the team to a pair of NFC East titles. His 11-win effort in 2009 yielded the Cowboys' first playoff win (a Wild Card triumph over Philadelphia) since 1996. It was also his first personal playoff win as a head coach, having previously earned full-time duties in Denver (1993-94) and Buffalo (1998-2000). 

Phillips earned a Super Bowl ring as the Broncos' defensive coordinator after the 2015 season. His last coaching experience came with the Los Angeles Rams in the same role (2017-19). Counting three interim stints in New Orleans (1985), Atlanta (2003), and Houston (2013), no one in NFL history has coached more teams than Phillips, the son of the late Houston Oilers/New Orleans Saints head coach Bum. 

At .607, Phillips owns the second-best winning percentage in Cowboys history behind only Barry Switzer (.625). The jovial football veteran was more than happy to point that out when he and his seven compatriots were showcased at an XFL Town Hall held at Texas Live! in Arlington. 

At the XFL Town Hall Meeting in Arlington,TX Wade Phillips officially introduced as the head coach of the XFL Houston franchise & Wade discussed his love for Houston & Texas & pointed out to the fans there: “I do have the 2nd-highest winning percentage in Dallas Cowboys history.” pic.twitter.com/iFrgkPUv1C

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) July 25, 2022

Houston was one of five markets the XFL retained from its 2020 version. The team, nicknamed the Roughnecks and coached by June Jones, boasted an undefeated 5-0 record when the league was forced to suspend operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dallas metroplex will play a large role in the third attempt at XFL football: Arlington was not only retained among the eight competing squads (having previously hosted the Dallas Renegades during the 2020 edition) but will also serve as the league's hub through 2025, hosting preseason and in-week practices while teams play their games in home markets. Choctaw Stadium (formerly known as The Ballpark in Arlington) will host the Dallas-branded team and XFL-themed events while Northwest ISD Stadium, Southlake Carroll Dragon Stadium, and Vernon Newsom Stadium will serve as the practice facilities.

“Arlington is a football-loving city and we are excited to deepen our roots within the community and strengthen the already dedicated fan base here," Garcia said in a statement. "We are grateful to be working with Mayor (Jim) Ross, Choctaw Stadium, (Choctaw's exclusive event partner) REV Entertainment, and other local officials as we make Arlington our League’s new home.”

Bob Stoops, who guided the Renegades to a 2-3 record before the 2020 XFL's COVID-induced shutdown, will coach the Dallas team. Another Texas-based team will reside in San Antonio's Alamodome, which previously hosted the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football.  

"The XFL has officially landed in the great football state of Texas,” Johnson said. "Our new Texas Hub will ensure that they all receive top-notch training and development while also getting an opportunity to build individual brands and shine.”

The original XFL debuted in 2001 as a joint venture between the World Wrestling Federation and NBC. It lasted a single full season and received negative reviews for its wrestling-inspired gimmicks and kayfabe. The 2020 version was a more grounded attempt and completed half of its ten-week season before the shutdown. 

Other markets retained from the 2020 edition include Seattle, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. while Las Vegas and Orlando (both of whom partook in the 2001 version) also join the fold. Los Angeles and New York (who appeared in both prior editions) were dropped, as was 2020 representative Tampa Bay.