Former Texans DC Wade Phillips clinches spot in UFL Championship

Wade Phillips is finally headed to the title game as a head coach.

Phillips, who spent two seasons as the Houston Texans’ defensive coordinator under Gary Kubiak, will take center stage on Saturday afternoon as his San Antonio Brahmas take on the Birmingham Stallions in the 2024 UFL Championship Game at 4 p.m. The game will kick off at 4 p.m. CT at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis and will televised on FOX.

Phillips previously coached in the XFL for the Houston Roughnecks before taking over in San Antonio when the league merged with the UFL last offseason. Last Sunday, the Bahamas defeated the St. Louis Battlehawks in the XFL Championship.

It’s been a long time coming for the Houston product in his coaching career. The son of legendary Oilers coach Bum Phillips, Wade has coached in prominent games over his illustrious four-decade career.

He ended the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff losing streak while coaching between 2007-2010, posing a 34-22 record. He also helped Kubiak and Peyton Manning win Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers as the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator during the 2015 season.

Phillips, 76, also took over for Kubiak as the Texans’ interim coach following his firing in 2013. He finished 0-3, leading to Houston securing the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

After Kubiak retired in 2016, Phillips joined Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams and the team’s defensive coordinator in 2017. His contract was not renewed after the 2019 season after Los Angeles finished 9-7.

In his lone season with the Roughnecks, Phillips went 7-3, guiding the Houston franchise to the XFL South Championship. He’ll now look to defeat Skip Holtz, who previously won back-to-back USFL titles with the Stallions in 2022 and 2023.