Even Jeff Phelps was surprised when his former boss, Tracy Claeys called in early January to inform him that Mike Leach, the head football coach of the team Minnesota had just beaten in the Holiday Bowl, had reached out to Claeys to inquire about Phelps’ availability.
This exchange came when Phelps was in Nashville, Tenn. for the American Football Coaches Association convention, days after Claeys and his staff had been fired by Minnesota.
“It was kind of a shock to me,” Phelps said in a conference call with reporters Monday morning. “But it was also a feel-good moment.