Bills fire Wade Phillips - UPI Archives

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y., Jan. 8 -- Because he was unwilling to fire his special teams coach, Ronnie Jones, Buffalo Bills coach Wade Phillips has lost his job. His firing comes less than three weeks after John Butler was fired as the team's general manager and only a short time after Phillips was given a vote of confidence by owner/president Ralph Wilson Jr.

"Buffalo's special teams' record was among the worst in the National Football League last season," Wilson said. "I felt we needed a change and that my request was reasonable. Wade has done a good job for us, reaching the playoffs two out of the last three seasons. But I felt the dismissal of the special teams coach was imperative for the improvement of our team. I did not want to release Wade but his refusal left me with no option."

Buffalo's special teams unit was a disaster under Jones, ranking last in both kickoff and punt returns.

Ironically, Jones was named to replace Bruce DeHaven, who was scapegoated in the wake of Buffalo's "Music City Miracle" playoff loss to Tennessee last January. On that now-famous play, Kevin Dyson scored on a 75-yard kickoff return after taking a lateral from Frank Wycheck with three seconds left to give the Titans a 22-16 win over the Bills in an AFC wild card game.

DeHaven became a coaching casualty after the stunning defeat and Jones was hired.

On Dec. 19, the Bills fired Butler for failing to make a commitment to the club beyond February, when his contract was set to expire. He since has been hired in a similar post with the San Diego Chargers.

The Bills have not replaced Butler, and it now appears that Tom Donahoe, who was rumored to be in line to succeed him, will not be his replacement after all.

Apparently, whoever is chosen to succeed Butler will name the new coach.

The Buffalo News reported Monday that offensive coordinator Joe Pendry and offensive line coach Carl Mauck was also on the hit list.

At 8-8, Buffalo missed of the playoffs this season, but Wilson had indicated he wanted to retain Phillips, who had one year left on his contract. In his three seasons as Bills coach, the 53-year-old son of legendary former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips had a record of 29-19, and two playoff berths.

It was during the Tennessee playoff contest that the team's quarterback controversy also came to a head as Phillips decided to start Rob Johnson ahead of the more popular Doug Flutie, who had started the team's first 15 regular-season games.

It didn't help this year that, at 7-4, the Bills lost four straight games with Johnson at the helm before Flutie delivered a meaningless 42-23 season-ending win over Seattle, leaving them at 8-8 and on the outside looking in.

Before joining the Bills, Phillips coached the Denver Broncos for two seasons and compiled a 16-16 record in 1993 and '94. He was Buffalo's defensive coordinator for two seasons before succeeding the retired Marv Levy as coach on Jan. 5, 1998.