With the news of Wade Philips being canned as the Cowboys head coach, there has been a lot of talk about whether it was fair or even a good idea. One of the most often used reasons was that Wade was such a nice guy.
A nice guy? Really? Being a nice guy is great if you are a greeter at Walmart. Being a nice guy is really useful when you are doing phone surveys and being a nice guy will probably get you a few friends. But Wade was a head coach for a bunch of over paid, muscle bound prima donas. Testosterone does not respond well to weakness and lets be candid, in the male dominated world of sports being nice is seen as a weakness.
Now I’m not saying they need to be Oakland Raiders, mean and dirty underhanded. You can still be a class act and not be nice. You need to be tough, stand your ground and take no excuses. All I saw from the Cowboys has been a lot of talent running around on a field. No direction, no cohesive plan.
The Cowboys need a leader. A Coach. Yes Coach, no Coach, right away Coach! A guy that will be tough on his players and not accept excuses. A coach that does not allow failure to go on and on in his coach staff.
I’m sorry Wade lost his job. Like Jimmy Johnson, he was probably a victim of the GM over management of the team, but that just illustrates the point further. A tough coach would not care about his managers ideas. He would work his team hard and get results. He would sit out the underachievers for a little bit and let their egos stew on a second or third stringer getting some play time.
I hope this is a wake up call for all the other staff (You hear the footsteps don’t you Garrett?). I hope the team understands they are largely to blame as well. Finally, I hope for a tough head coach that will get this team moving in the right direction.
I can't help but feel called out by this post after my comment to you stating that Wade was a "good guy". Just kidding.
Actually, we're on the same page. I think Wade is genuinely a nice guy – too nice. He allowed his owner, staff and players to walk all over him. He emphasized loyalty and optimism and deemphasized accountability and discipline. As pointed out by ESPN radio's Ben and Skin, he was more of a Mall Santa than a Head Coach.
Unfortunately, Jerry Jones continues to be infatuated with timid NFL coordinators.