“Joe is a tremendous example of what W&J football has represented for a long time.”
– JOHN LUCKHARDT, FORMER HEAD COACH, W&J PRESIDENTS
Those who knew Philbin from his days at W&J agree. “Knowing the type of person Joe Philbin is, I feel he will be a very successful head coach in Miami,” Kenny said. “Joe is a very well-grounded individual who will not let outside interferences disrupt his vision of how to accomplish his goals.” That sharp focus was critical for Philbin as he began his head coaching career under the microscope of HBO’s popular training camp documentary, “Hard Knocks.” While the Dolphins presented a number of intriguing story lines for the television cameras, Philbin’s introduction served as a steady narrative for the series. “I am not concerned about how I am
perceived or look,” Philbin said to the media when announcing the Dolphins’ involvement with the show. “I have to do what I feel is going to help these players reach their potential and this football team reach its potential.”
Leaving a legacy When the cameras turn off and his first season with the Dolphins comes to a close, Philbin hopes he will be known, more importantly, as a coach who “made players better.” “A guy who made better players and better men, and a guy who pushes players,” he said. “That’s really how I’d like to be remembered.”
When did you first know you wanted to be a football coach? I never was an aspiring football coach. I didn’t know I wanted to coach until Todd Young suggested that I try. After graduation, I threw out my resume to a bunch of teams and, the next thing I knew, I was in South Bend, Ind., that July working as a strength and conditioning coach at Notre Dame. So, that’s how it worked out for me, but I’ll tell you what—I love coaching and wouldn’t do anything else.
You returned to W&J three years after graduation as an offensive line coach for the Presidents. How did that experience influence the rest of your career? It was nice to go back to my alma mater and be able to have a positive influence. Of course, you always want to see your alma mater do well, so I was willing to do whatever it took to make sure the players were in the best possible position to succeed and win. We had a tremendous year and reached new heights for the program. We just kept setting the bar higher and higher.
Chris Mosley (right) joins Joe Philbin on the Miami Dolphins coaching staff this season.
As for now, Philbin remains fixated on the task at hand—preparing for his first game as head coach against the defending AFC South champion Houston Texans. “We’re really only looking at the first game,” he stressed with the wisdom of a veteran NFL coach. “You have to keep your mind focused on the first game and how you can get your team ready to play as well as possible on September 9.” Though Miami’s Sun Life Stadium is some 1,200 miles away from the W&J campus, Philbin can count on the support of fans this season from his original home turf. “Joe has moved up the ladder with every step of his career and impressed people, so I am not surprised at his success in the NFL. He warrants it,” said Luckhardt, who is confident in his former pupil’s ability to “turn the Dolphins program around.” “Joe is a tremendous example of what W&J football has represented for a long time.” – MEGAN MONAGHAN
What is your dream coaching job? Right now, I just know that I want to coach my position and make it as successful as possible. I still aspire to be a head coach one day and, while that may be a long way off, I know I’m definitely taking the right steps in that direction. I’ve been put in the right situations, and I’ve faced a lot of the adversity that I need to face in order to understand what it would take to reach that level. I’m still learning every day.
Do you have any advice for W&J graduates looking to enter the coaching profession? The biggest thing in becoming a coach is to make contact early. You also have to stay hungry about it. Coaching is a very hard field to get into because there are a lot of people who want to do it, so you have to be eager and you have to stay humble. It’s also important to remember that the first opportunity you get might not be the one you thought you wanted, and it can take a while to establish yourself in the field. I was 31 years old when I came into the NFL, so I was very fortunate. For some people, it takes much longer to get here. You never know when the right opportunity will present itself, so when it does, you have to be prepared to jump on it.
WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON COLLEGE
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