Before the 1983 season, Bum Phillips offered a bold prediction. For the first time in their history, he said, the New Orleans Saints would post a winning season.
He later confided that one of the reasons he made such a prediction, which coaches usually try to avoid like the plague and one-year contracts, was that he felt it would make the team believe in itself. He didn't want a team that would accept losing because it wasn't supposed to be ready to win yet.
So, he publicly put the pressure on his team to live up to his expectations. But for a field goal it gave up in the final six seconds of a 16-game season, his team would have.
A 26-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams as a result of that field goal deprived the Saints of that elusive winning season and a play-off berth. But, when the gloom of the moment lifted, and the progress made by the team was measured, the job Bum Phillips did in 1983 could be viewed objectively. And that job was good enough for him to be named the Outstanding Coach in the State of Louisiana by the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee.
Phillips' 8 and 8 record in 1983 equaled the Saints' best mark ever. But the thing that pleased the Saints' fans was that their team earned the respect of every club in the NFL with its aggressive, hard-hitting style that made almost every game interesting and exciting in both victory and defeat.
The 1983 Saints set a total of 13 team records – eight of those by a defense which became one of the most formidable in the NFL. At year's end, the Saints had the best defense in the NFC and the second-best in the NFL statistically. Their pass defense ranked first in the entire league. A club record 56 sacks helped account for that.
Outside linebacker Rickey Jackson, who led the team with 11 of those sacks was named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad with four other Saints – guard Brad Edelman, strong safety Russell Gary, nose tackle Derland Moore, and cornerback Johnnie Poe selected as alternates.
"We are all disappointed that we did not make the playoffs," Phillips said after the season. "But if you can get into a position where you're playing the last game of the season to go into the playoffs, then you ought to have a good chance of taking the next step next year."
Saints fans have never lacked for hope, and because he's provided more than ever before, Bum Phillips is the Louisiana Coach of the Year.
The New Orleans Sports Awards Committee began in 1957 when James Collins spearheaded a group of sports journalists to form a sports awards committee to immortalize local sports history. For 13 years, the committee honored local athletes each month. In 1970, the Sugar Bowl stepped in to sponsor and revitalize the committee, leading to the creation of the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, honoring 10 legends from the Crescent City in its first induction class. While adding the responsibility of selecting Hall of Famers, the committee has continued to recognize Sugar Bowl Athletes of the Month.
-www.AllstateSugarBowl.org-
