In a coincidental timing of things, below we have a post with Jimmy Johnson discussing Jason Garrett and what has worked in terms of him turning this Cowboys team around. Wade Phillips also did a recent interview with former great Bruce Smith on his radio show. In the BTB post, Johnson noted that Garrett brought discipline, that he had brought a hard-work ethic to the team in practices. He also used the dreaded 'soft' to describe what the Cowboys had become under Wade Phillips. Wade was asked by Bruce Smith a question along the same lines.
Q: Can a coach be too nice to be the head coach of an NFL football team?Wade Phillips: Well, I think perception and reality are different things. I just don't believe you berate a guy into being a better player. I'm from the teaching standpoint that you teach them what to do and help them do better rather than, after the fact, cuss somebody out. So, I don't think that's the way. I don't think that's the real way a coach does it. I think a real coach helps a player to get better and even if they've played a long time. I tried to help Bruce. I didn't help him much because he was already such a great player but you still try and do that.
Wade is consistent, and he tries to defend his approach by noting he went out with the same winning percentage as Tom Landry. I guess Wade forgot about those couple of Super Bowl trophies Landry stored in the Cowboys trophy case. He also noted how much success he's had in the regular season, but he fails to realize that eventually, you have to have post-season success. And you can't take a team like the Cowboys were in 2009, then come out the next season and totally flop. That will get you fired, just ask Brad Childress.
Wade wants to coach again, and would take a coordinator's job. That's one thing I always admired about Wade, no matter how many times he gets knocked down, he keeps coming back. He really does love football.