Texans hire Phillips as defensive coordinator

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Houston Texans have hired former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips as their new defensive coordinator, the team said Wednesday.

Phillips, 63, replaces Frank Bush who was fired at the end of the regular season and returns to the NFL after he was sacked by the Cowboys following a 1-7 start to the year.

The Texas native played and coached at the University of Houston and was also an assistant to his father, Bum Phillips, at the city's earlier NFL franchise, the Houston Oilers.

Before becoming the Cowboys head coach, Phillips had been head coach for the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos and has held a number of coordinator posts in the league since joining the Oilers in 1976.

The Texans decided on Monday to stick with their head coach, Gary Kubiak, despite a disappointing 6-10 campaign.

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami, editing by Steve Ginsburg)