Wes Phillips, offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol last Friday.
After a 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, December 10, head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed Phillips’ DWI arrest — and while Phillips traveled to Las Vegas with the squad, the Vikings have not made a definitive decision on the coach’s future.
“It’s going to be something we’ll continue to evaluate, but with it being late on Friday and kind of gathering more information on it, I made the decision after really circling up with our leadership and everybody that Wes would travel and ultimately coach today, and we will continue to process the information as we move forward and work through whatever discipline there may be at that point,” O’Connell said at a news conference after the game.
“There’s no doubt that I was extremely disappointed, but we want to allow for the facts and do our due diligence from that standpoint.” The league is also definitely involved. It’s very important that, as coaches, we understand where we’re setting the bar for our organization and for our players, and Wes knows he fell short of that,” O’Connell added.
“Wes is one of the closest coaches I’ve ever worked with.” I feel strongly about him, and we’re going to support him as an organization, knowing that Wes realizes he made a mistake, and we’re going to treat it accordingly as we gather more facts and eventually work through it. However, I believe it is a lesson for all of us. Whatever you believe, this amount or that amount, you must have a plan and ensure, since that was something we were all extremely dissatisfied with.”
Wes Phillips was pulled over for speeding, which led to suspicion of drunk driving, according to police.
Phillips was pulled up for speeding on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis at 9:45 p.m. on Friday, December 8, according to KARE.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant Jill Frankfurth claimed in a statement that Phillips “showed signs of impairment” and had a blood alcohol level of 0.10. In Minnesota, the legal limit is 0.08.
Phillips was hauled into Hennepin County Jail at 11 p.m. on a minor DWI charge and posted a $300 bond before being released over 2.5 hours later at 1:26 a.m., according to KARE 11.
The Vikings announced Friday night that Phillips would continue to travel with the team.
“Wes notified the team immediately following his arrest last night,” the Vikings said, according to ESPN. “We contacted the NFL this morning, and after internal discussion, we decided Wes will travel with the team to Las Vegas this afternoon.” We will continue to gather information about the incident and will have more to say when the time comes.”
According to the Star Tribune, Phillips has a court appointment scheduled for December 21 ahead of a crucial December 24 meeting with the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions.
Phillips is in his second season as a Vikings coach and his 17th as an NFL assistant. He was one of O’Connell’s initial selections when it came to bringing assistants from the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. Phillips is the son of former NFL coach Wade Phillips and the grandson of Bum Phillips.
Vikings Coach Resigns and Joins Clemson
Several times during the 2023 season, the Vikings coaching staff has generated headlines. Aside from Phillips’ position, Minnesota has lost multiple defensive coaches.
Chris Rumph, the defensive line coach, took a “personal leave” in October before returning to his alma university, Clemson, on December 4. Rumph, an initial O’Connell staffer, was “let out of his contract” in the middle of his first year under Brian Flores, according to Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune.
Mike Smith, a linebacker/pass rush specialist, took a leave of absence from the team just six days before the regular season began.
Patrick Hill has taken over for Rumph, working alongside assistant coach Mike Pettine, who has also assisted Imarjaye Albury in taking over for Smith.
