Continue reading "Influence of Good Coaches (Bills vs. Pats)"
Wade Phillips
16 December 2008
y, left the Bills, at the end of the 1997 season, the Buffalo Bills handed the coaching job over to Wade Phillips. Most Bills fans remember Wade Phillips for his starting Rob Johnson over Doug Flutie, who lead us to a 10-5 record in 1999, however, what most Bills fans would not be able to tell you, is that Mr. Phillips, in 3 years, went 29-19. In his tenure with the Buffalo Bills, the Bills did not have a single losing season, including the Bills last playoff appearence, and yet, after 3 years with the team, Ralph Wilson decided to let Mr. Phillips go. In comparison, in Bill Belichick's first 3 years with the Patriots, the team went 25-23, although he did lead the Pats to a superbowl. Imagine how different the NFL would have been as a whole, if the Patriots would have let go of Belichick after he failed to make the playoffs in his 3rd year as head coach. Also, Wade's record after 3 seasons, was a half-game better than Bills great Marv Levy, who went 28-19 in his first 3 seasons (In 1987, players went on a 24-day strike making the season only 15 games, instead of the full 16). Ever since this time, the Buffalo Bills have hired 3 head coaches, and only once have finished above .500, 9-7 in 2004 under Mike Mularkey, and have not once been in the playoffs.
Posted by Joseph Sharpe | No comments yet