For the third time in his odyssey-filled NFL career, Wade Phillips has taken over as the interim coach in December.
Proud owner of a career 82-63 record, Phillips sounds like he's stumping for the permanent job with the Houston Texans.
"I can go into all of the stats and all of that stuff. Nobody wants to hear those," Phillips said Monday, via the Houston Chronicle. "But if you look at the record, I think I have a lot to offer as a head coach. That's for somebody else to decide."
Phillips didn't even want to provide an answer when asked if he would consider returning as the defensive coordinator under a new coach.
"If I say that," Phillips reasoned, "they won't hire me as the head coach."
Owner Bob McNair has confirmed that Phillips is a candidate to keep the job in 2014.
Thanks to the Chronicle's John McClain, we know that the Texans also have interest in former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and Stanford coach David Shaw.
McNair also made it clear that he values closing out the season on a high note over making a run at the No. 1 overall draft pick. If Phillips can accomplish the former, he will force the front office to take a longer look at his candidacy.
*The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped all the Week 14 games. *
