Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he'll "continue to evaluate" whether 44-year-old offensive coordinator Wes Phillips will keep coaching with the team following Friday night's arrest on suspicion of drunken driving. Phillips flew with the team and coached Sunday, but O'Connell didn't commit to Phillips coaching against the Bengals in Saturday's game in Cincinnati.
"I was incredibly disappointed," O'Connell said. "Wes is one of the closest coaches I've been around. I care about him deeply. We as an organization are going to support him and know, as Wes knows, that he made a mistake."
Phillips was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 394 in Minneapolis around 9:45 p.m. Friday, according to a statement from State Patrol Lt. Jill Frankfurth. He "showed signs of impairment" and registered a blood alcohol level of 0.10%. The legal limit in Minnesota is 0.08%. He was booked in Hennepin County jail on a misdemeanor DWI charge at 11 p.m., according to jail records.
He was released a few hours later after posting a $300 bond and has a court date of Dec. 21 scheduled in Minneapolis.
Phillips is in his second season with the Vikings and 17th as an NFL assistant. He was one of O'Connell's top choices when choosing assistants to bring from the Rams in 2022. He's the son of former NFL coach Wade Phillips and grandson of former NFL coach Bum Phillips.
Phillips' arrest is the latest reason O'Connell's staff has been in the news. The team has been coaching without outside linebackers coach Mike Smith since August due to a personal leave. Defensive line coach Chris Rumph abruptly left defensive coordinator Brian Flores' staff last week for a job at Clemson.