Texana Thursday: 3 Things You Might Not Know about Bum Phillips

Bum Phillips when he was coaching the Houston Oilers

Bum Phillips made his mark as a legendary Texas high school football coach, and later as an NFL coach with both the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints. But there was more to the man than wins and losses on the gridiron.

He was known for his cowboy attire (wearing a cowboy hat on the sideline was practical, Phillips would say, because the visiting team was always put on the bench that faced into the sun). He was also known for his folksy sayings (asked what he did in retirement, Phillips said he didn’t do anything, and he didn’t start until noon).

Some other things you might not know about Phillips include:

1. Bum is a name, not a description.

Oail (pronounced “Uhl”) Andrew Phillips, Jr., was born September 29, 1923, in Orange, in Southeast Texas near the Louisiana border.

In his memoir Son of Bum (2017), Bum’s son, Wade, wrote that when Bum was a little boy he got into a bumblebee nest. It was a scary experience. His parents would call out “bumblebee” which in East Texas twang came out as “bummelbee.” But Bum’s sister couldn’t say “bumblebee” or ”bummelbee,” and “Bum” became his nickname.

Phillips always said that “Bum” was a name, not a description.

2. Bum Phillips was a Bear Bryant protégé.

The legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant is best remembered for his time as University of Alabama football coach. But before he went home to Alabama, Bryant was the football coach at Texas A&M University. In 1957, his last season as Aggies coach, Bryant hired Phillips for his coaching staff.

They remained friends until Bryant’s death in 1983.

3. Bum was always interested in ranching and became a full-time rancher after football.

Phillips walked away from football in 1985, when he resigned as general manager and head coach of the New Orleans Saints. But he had spent much of his early days doing ranch work, and he knew the business.

Phillips and his second wife, Debbie, bought a place near Goliad and went into ranching. He never lost his passion for football, and continued watching games, particularly those involving his son Wade, who to this day is an NFL coach.

Bum Phillips died in 2013 and was buried on his ranch.