Beloved former Broncos coach and coordinator lands new gig

The architect of one of the great defenses in Denver Broncos history has landed a new job.

Wade Phillips, who helped guide a fantastic Broncos defensive unit to a Super Bowl 50 championship, is one of the new bosses in the XFL.

So excited and honored to be picked as an XFL Head Coach. Great that XFL is back and so happy to be back myself!

— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) April 13, 2022

Phillips was Denver’s head coach in 1993 and 1994, going a combined 16-16. But he left his real mark on the franchise in 2015 when Denver’s defense led them to a title, with Phillips in charge as defensive coordinator. The Broncos made life awful for Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Cam Newton in a dominating playoff run. The cherry on top was a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

Phillips returned in 2016 and the unit was once again good, but didn’t have a serviceable QB on offense after the retirement of Peyton Manning. Phillips spent the next three seasons in Los Angeles with the Rams as defensive coordinator, but has been out of the NFL since 2019.

It hasn’t been announced yet which XFL team Phillips will coach, but the league isn’t scheduled to resume until the spring of 2023. Regardless, it’s exciting to see Phillips get another chance to coach, and it’s a mystery why another NFL team hasn’t taken a shot on him.
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