Wes Phillips enters his 18th season coaching in the NFL and third with the Minnesota Vikings as offensive coordinator in 2024, after serving as pass game coordinator/tight ends coach for the Los Angeles Rams, who won Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022.
In his second season with the Vikings in 2023, Phillips helped Head Coach Kevin O'Connell navigate a season with four different starting quarterbacks, the most in franchise history, due to a season-ending injury to QB Kirk Cousins in Week 8. In addition to Cousins, rookie Jaren Hall, Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens each started multiple games for the Vikings in 2023. Minnesota won three consecutive games with a different starting quarterback in Weeks 8-10 (Cousins, Hall and Dobbs).
The Vikings finished the 2023 season fifth in the league in passing yards per game (256.4) and were one of just three teams to rank inside the top six in the league in passing yards per game in each of the past two seasons, joining Miami (fourth in 2022, first in 2023) and Kansas City (first in 2022, sixth in 2023). Minnesota finished sixth in passing yards per game in Phillips' first season as offensive coordinator.
Despite the quarterback carousel in 2023, the Vikings offensive weapons shined for a second-straight season under Phillips' direction. Minnesota was the lone team in the league to have three players reach the 900-yard receiving threshold - WR Justin Jefferson (1,074 yards), TE T.J. Hockenson (960) and rookie WR Jordan Addison (911), and in addition to their 900 receiving yards, Addison (10), Hockenson (five) and Jefferson (five) each registered at least five receiving touchdowns in 2023. It tied the NFL record for the most players with at least 900 receiving yards and at least five receiving TDs in a single season.
Addison, who started 14 of the 17 games he played as a rookie for the Vikings in 2023, flourished during his first season in the league. His 10 receiving touchdowns tied for the most among all rookies in the NFL (Sam LaPorta) and tied for the fourth most among all players in the league, and he finished third in receiving yards (911) among all rookies in 2023. Meanwhile, Hockenson finished second among tight ends in receptions, tallying a single-season franchise record with 95, and was fourth in receiving yards (960), despite missing the final two games of the regular season. Jefferson, who started just nine games due to a hamstring injury, achieved his fourth straight season with 1,000 receiving yards. He joined A.J. Green (2011-14) and Randy Moss (1998-2001) as the only players in NFL history to have four straight seasons of 1,000 receiving yards to start their careers. He also broke WR Michael Thomas' NFL record for the most receiving yards by a player in his first four seasons in the league (5,899 receiving yards).Â
During his first season in Minnesota, Phillips coached an offense that finished seventh in the NFL in points scored (24.9 ppg) second in passing yards (283.4 ypg) and third in completions (448). Phillips helped Cousins start all 17 games and set team records for passing attempts (643) and passing first downs (230), also totaled the second-most completions (424) and passing yards (4,547) in franchise history. Phillips also assisted in Jefferson's record-breaking campaign, where he set the Vikings new single-season record for receiving yards (1,809) and receptions (128), passing Hall of Fame WRs Cris Carter (122 in 1994 and 1995) and Moss (1,632 in 2003). After a mid-season trade with the Detroit Lions, Phillips coached Hockenson to 25 receptions through his first four games with the team, setting a new NFL record. Under Phillips, Cousins, RB Dalvin Cook, Jefferson and Hockenson were named to the Pro Bowl.
Phillips worked as a tight ends coach from 2013-21, helping a player from his unit post 500-plus receiving yards in nine consecutive seasons. Phillips joined the Vikings after spending three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams as the tight ends coach in 2019-20 and pass game coordinator/tight ends coach in 2021. Phillips assisted in QB Matthew Stafford's first season with the team, helping him throw for the third-most passing yards (4,886) and second-most touchdowns (41) in the NFL, all while achieving his career-best 102.9 passer rating (in seasons with more than eight starts). During his first year as pass game coordinator, WR Cooper Kupp had one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history, leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16), earning AP First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
Phillips played a vital role in developing TE Tyler Higbee and TE Gerald Everett. In 2019, the first year of Phillips' tenure, Higbee set career highs in receptions (69) and receiving yards (734), while Everett recorded his first career 400-plus yard receiving season. Higbee has also posted three consecutive 500-plus receiving seasons, joining TE George Kittle and TE Dallas Goedert as the only NFC tight ends to accomplish this feat since 2019.
Prior to his time in Los Angeles, Phillips spent five seasons in Washington coaching the tight ends. In 2018, Phillips helped TE Jordan Reed lead the team in receptions (54) and receiving yards (558), both ranking in the top half of the league among tight ends, while TE Vernon Davis caught 25 passes for 367 yards, joining Pittsburgh's TEs Vance McDonald (610) and Jesse James (423) as the only tight end duo with more than 350 receiving yards. Phillips aided in the production of TE Vernon Davis in 2017, amounting to 43 receptions, 648 yards and leading Washington with a 15.1 yards-per-catch average. Davis' 15.1 yards per catch average ranked second in the NFL behind TE Rob Gronkowski, making him the first Washington tight end since TE Clint Didier.
In 2016, the Washington tight ends combined for 1,306 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, all thrown by QB Kirk Cousins. Reed (686) and Davis (583) both had 500-plus yard receiving seasons, making them one of two tight end duos in the NFL to eclipse 500 receiving yards on the year, (TE Martellus Bennett (701) and Gronkowski (540) of the New England Patriots). Reed was voted to the Pro Bowl and became the fastest tight end in NFL history to reach 200 career receptions (38 games), passing Hall of Fame TE Kellen Winslow (39 career games).
Phillips coached Reed to one of the best seasons from a tight end in franchise history in 2015, guiding him to 87 receptions, 952 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Reed's receptions and receiving yards are the most in a single season in franchise history among tight ends, while his touchdowns are the second-most in franchise history behind Jerry Smith (12). In his first season in Washington, Phillips played a role in TE Niles Paul recording career highs in receptions (39) and receiving yards (507).
Phillips' first year as a tight ends coach was in 2013 with the Dallas Cowboys, coaching TE Jason Witten to a 73-reception, 851-receiving yard, eight-touchdown season and Pro Bowl berth. Prior to his time as tight ends coach, Phillips held the assistant offensive line title in 2011-12, assisting the first and second year of eventual 2010s All-Decade Team member, tackle Tyron Smith. Phillips got his start in 2007 with the Cowboys as a quality control/offensive assistant from 2007-10.
Before joining the Cowboys, Phillips coached the quarterbacks at Baylor in 2006 and helped QB Shawn Bell post 2,582 passing yards and 19 touchdowns, both career highs. Phillips spent the 2004-05 seasons at West Texas A&M, coaching in one of the most successful years in school history in 2005. The team posted a 10-2 record and were crowned Lone Star Conference Champions. Under the leadership of Phillips, QB Dalton Bell was named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, an award given annually to the best Division II player.
Phillips, who played quarterback, was a three-year letter winner at UTEP (1999-2001) and was part of the 2000 team that claimed a WAC title. He played in 11 games during his final year at the school, throwing for 1,839 yards and 10 touchdowns. Following his college career, he went to play for the San Diego Riptide in the AF2 Arena Football league.
Phillips is a third-generation NFL coach. His grandfather, Bum, was the head coach of the Houston Oilers (1975-80) and New Orleans Saints (1981-85) and his father, Wade, has been a head coach for the Denver Broncos (1993-94), Buffalo Bills (1998-2000) and Dallas Cowboys (2007-10). Phillips and his wife, Anna, have two daughters, Ivy and Minnie, and a son, Mac.
