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Once former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell got sworn in and introduced as Minnesota Vikings head coach, most people began wondering if he would pluck away members of the last coaching staff he worked with.
Well, O’Connell has given one Sean McVay assistant his coaching elevation — which now puts him on his own trajectory within a prominent NFL family he’s in.
First reported by the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, then the deal later confirmed by Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network on Monday February 21, O’Connell and the Vikings has officially lured away Wes Phillips from the Rams, finalizing their deal for Phillips to become offensive coordinator near the 1:30 p.m. PT mark.
Not only are the Rams losing their tight ends coach to the NFC North, but Phillips gets his own coaching promotion that mirrors what two of his family members had during their NFL run.
Phillips’ Family Ties
The Rams are losing a fast-rising assistant who hails from a legendary family.
The Vikings are now gaining the grandson of legendary NFL head coach Bum Phillips.
Known for wearing a coat and Texas cowboy hat on the NFL sidelines, Phillips went 82-77 overall in 11 seasons as a head coach according to Pro Football Reference. Phillips produced four double-digit winning seasons with the Houston Oilers.
While Phillips is yet to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, he was inducted into the Tennessee Titans’ Ring of Honor on September 25, 2021.
The Titans also created a painting in Bum Phillips’ honor.
Phillips’ grandfather was renown in the NFL for the “Luv Ya Blue” era of Oilers football that saw a couple of trips to the AFC title game in 1978 and 1979.
But Bum isn’t the only prominent name Wes Phillips shares family DNA with. Also former NFL head coach and longtime defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
Wade, the father of Wes, put together his own coaching resume that saw an 82-64 overall record as a head coach in stints with the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys according to Pro Football Reference. But he coordinated two NFL defenses to a pair of Super Bowl appearances in his last two NFL stops: Leading the Broncos’ 2015 defense during their Super Bowl win over the Carolina Panthers and coordinator of the Rams’ unit in their 2018 run to the NFC title.
Wes Phillips With the Rams
The newest Phillips is 43 and has made his mark on the opposite side of the ball from where his dad and grandfather coached.
As tight ends coach with the Rams, Phillips helped get Tyler Higbee to shatter single-season records among Ram tight ends with 69 catches and 734 yards in 2019. “Big Rig Higs” also ended his ’19 campaign with five straight games of catching seven passes or more — becoming the first tight end since 1970 to accomplish that mark.
But outside of coaching that position group, Phillips served as pass game coordinator of the Rams this past season. The Rams ranked fifth in passing yardage and second in aerial touchdowns during their Super Bowl run.
Now, Phillips has completed the hat trick in his family tree with getting his coordinator spot.
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