HOUSTON (July 11, 2005) -- Former Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips was in intensive care July 11 after recent heart surgery and his doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
Doctors discovered blockage in Phillips' arteries and performed triple bypass surgery July 8 after he was taken to the hospital with chest pains.
No evidence of heart damage was found, said Dr. Ronald Mahoney, a cardiologist with Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.
The 81-year-old Phillips lives on his horse ranch in Goliad, Texas. He had experienced some symptoms of heart problems recently.
His son Wade, who is the defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers, said his father joked as he was going into surgery that if the operation didn't work, he expected to receive double his money back.
"He just wants to get back on his ranch," Wade Phillips said during a news conference Monday.
Phillips coached some of the Oilers best teams from 1975-80 and was responsible for drafting running back Earl Campbell in 1978.
He was fired on New Year's Eve of 1980 after the Oilers lost a playoff game to the Oakland Raiders.
He then coached the New Orleans Saints from 1981-85, before retiring.
