IRVING, Texas (AP) – Wade Phillips was hired Thursday to coach the Dallas Cowboys, providing the club with an experienced replacement for Bill Parcells and someone well-versed in the 3-4 defense.

The seventh coach in team history, Phillips is only the second to arrive in Dallas with previous head coaching experience. The other was Parcells, who retired Jan. 22 after four seasons with the Cowboys.

Phillips, defensive coordinator at San Diego the past three seasons, has a 48-42 head coaching record over three seasons with Buffalo, two with Denver and season-ending interim stints with New Orleans and Atlanta. The 59-year-old son of longtime Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips has been in the NFL for 30 of the last 31 seasons.

Wade Phillips joins Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson as the only Texas natives to be in charge of “America’s Team.” Landry and Johnson both won two Super Bowls in Dallas.

“It’s great to have these cowboys boots back in Texas,” Phillips said, showing his boots from the podium, where his father sat to his right. “I’m exciting about it.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones interviewed 10 candidates before hiring his sixth coach since buying the team in 1989. Phillips was interviewed two weeks ago, and his chances of getting the job seemed to be fading when supposed favorite Norv Turner was among five more who followed him.

But Jones chose the defensive-minded Phillips over Turner, a two-time head coach who was the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator for Super Bowl titles after the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

“We needed to get it right. In my mind we got it right,” Jones said, getting emotional as he introduced Phillips.