Can he make history this time? Wade Phillips-led San Antonio Brahmas are into the UFL Championship game after defeating the St. Louis Battlehawks, 25-15, in St. Louis for the XFL Conference title. Now, all eyes remain on the veteran football coach and his possible historic feat. In football, many head coaches retire in their 50s or 60s. Only a few remain firm and continue coaching into their 70s. Among them is former NFL head coach Wade Phillips.
76-year-old Phillips currently is the head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas in the UFL. Phillips’ team will face the Birmingham Stallions and it will be one of the most anticipated clashes. The news of this joyous victory was shared on X by the NFL on ESPN. The post read, “Wade Phillips is heading to the UFL Championship in his 55th year coaching.”
Astonishingly, if Phillips manages to win the finals, he could become the first head coach to win both Super Bowl and UFL titles. In his NFL tenure, Phillips has coached the Bills, Broncos, and Cowboys. The former Roughnecks coach has advanced to the Super Bowl three times in his 42-season career (1976 to 2019) in the NFL. He has won Super Bowl (50) with the 2015 Broncos. Now, he stands at the gateway to a UFL championship as well.
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The Brahmas dominated the game against the Battlehawks despite the close final score. They gained 410 yards compared to the opponent’s 239. According to NBC Sports, “Anthony McFarland Jr. led the Brahmas’ strong running game with 115 yards on 11 carries, including a 69-yard touchdown. John Lovett contributed 83 yards on 18 carries.” The Battlehawks, trailing by 10 points, had a chance to tie or win late in the game using the fourth-and-12 onside kick alternative but ran out of time to score a touchdown. They even didn’t attempt a field goal before trying the play for a potential game-winning score.
The winning team’s next matchup is on Sunday, June 16 at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. against the Birmingham Stallions. Given their previous 10-1 defeat in the regular season, it’s clear Phillips will develop a strategy to counter the Stallions. Additionally, since the Brahmas are the only team to have defeated the Stallions in the regular season, Phillips will have to do everything possible to secure another victory over this strong opponent. Phillips’ favor for UFL has raised the question of his diversion from the NFL.
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Why Wade Phillips isn’t joining the NFL?
Wade Philips, who turns 76 on June 21, has no plans to retire. His last gig with the NFL franchise was in 2019 when the veteran coach was the part of Los Angeles Rams as a defensive coordinator. However, soon after, he said goodbye to the NFL arena and moved to XFL’s Houston Roughnecks. Concerning this, the coach expressed, “If they will have me back, I will be. I expect to be back, for sure.”
Alas! The same cannot be said for his NFL return. In an interview, Phillips was asked about his aversion to the NFL glamour, and why he didn’t want to join the league back, one where he won a Super Bowl. Phillips did not shy away from reasoning that age discrimination is why he isn’t coaching in the NFL anymore. He remarked, “I hate to say it but I think it’s age. It’s hard to beat my record as a coordinator so there’s got to be another reason. But that’s ok.”
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via Getty
Nonetheless, it is not like the coach is done with his passion for football. He loves his time in the XFL and believes that he will continue to be a part of the UFL league. Additionally, the shorter season allows Phillips some family time to watch his son Wes, who is the offensive coordinator for the Vikings.
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