In 2014, the nomad coach couldn't get a sniff of a job, or even an interview, in the NFL.
In fact, a year ago last week, he barely could secure a ticket to see Dallas play at AT&T Stadium, where he was the head coach when the imposing edifice opened. He sat among the folks in fifth-deck section 404, had to be concerned his nose would bleed and watched on the mammoth TV scoreboard as his son coached the Washington tight ends.
Harold Phillips was out of the game he loved and had spent all of his life around.