Former Bills Coach Wade Phillips Takes Unexpected Leave from UFL
Wade Phillips, former head coach of the Buffalo Bills, is stepping away from his current role in the United Football League (UFL) due to personal reasons. The San Antonio Brahmas, the team he led to the UFL championship game last season, announced his temporary departure this week without specifying when he might return.
Phillips has had a successful run in spring football since leaving the NFL, first coaching the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks before joining the UFL. Last season, he guided the Brahmas to a 7-3 record and a spot in the league’s title game, where they fell to the Birmingham Stallions.
UFL leadership expressed strong support for Phillips. In a joint statement, UFL president Russ Brandon and football operations executive Daryl Johnston praised Phillips’ leadership and long-standing contributions to the sport.
“The UFL is deeply thankful for Wade’s impact as head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas. His legacy brings credibility and respect to our league,” the statement read. “If and when he’s ready to return, the entire UFL community will be behind him.”
Phillips’ NFL coaching résumé includes stints with the Bills, Cowboys, Falcons, and Texans. As head coach of the Bills from 1998 to 2000, he led the team to the playoffs twice. However, his time in Buffalo ended on a controversial note. He was dismissed after refusing to fire special teams coordinator Ronnie Jones, despite the unit’s poor performance. Team owner Ralph Wilson said he had no choice but to let Phillips go when the coach stood by his assistant.
Following his departure, the Bills experienced a prolonged playoff drought that didn’t end until 2017 under current head coach Sean McDermott. Since then, the team has reached the playoffs consistently and claimed multiple AFC East titles.
