Ed Biles Ed Biles ( born October 18 , 1931 ) is a former American football coach whose most prominent position was as head coach of the National Football League ' s Houston Oilers from 1981 to 1983 . A native of Reading , Ohio , USA , Biles was an outstanding high school athlete , earning 12 letters and helping the 1946 Reading High team capture the state baseball championship . He then attended Miami University and was on the school ' s football team until suffering a career - ending injury . In his remaining time as an undergraduate , Biles served as an assistant with the squad , then officially began his coaching tenure at the high school level . High school coaching . In 1953 , he served as an assistant coach at Woodward High School in Cincinnati , Ohio , while also finishing work on his master ' s degree . The next year , he was elevated to head coach at the school , before accepting the position of freshman football coach at Cincinnati ' s Xavier University . Biles would remain in that position for the next six years , with a record of 20 - 4 until he was promoted to head coach of the varsity on November 24 , 1961 , following the departure of Edward Doherty . Coaching career . After two seasons in which he compiled an 11 - 8 - 1 record , Biles was offered a defensive assistant ' s role with the University of Notre Dame under head coach Ara Parseghian , who had been at the helm during Biles career at Miami . However , Biles turned the offer down on January 4 , 1964 , citing his desire to remain as a head coach . He remained at the school for another five seasons , having his best success with the 1965 unit that finished 8 - 2 , and compiled an overall record of 39 - 28 - 3 . On January 27 , 1969 , Biles resigned his position at Xavier to become an assistant coach with the NFL ' s New Orleans Saints . Working for two seasons under head coach Tom Fears , Biles lost his job soon after Fears was dismissed in November 1970 , but found work as a scout for the New York Jets the following year . After one season in that capacity , Biles was selected as the Jets ' defensive backs coach on June 24 , 1972 . He spent the next two seasons under the leadership of head coach Weeb Ewbank , but when he retired following the 1973 NFL season , Biles again lost his job . Houston Oilers . With his Miami University pedigree , he was able to obtain a def l . b . assistant ' s position in 1974 with the Oilers under former Miami coach Sid Gillman . When Gillman retired at the end of that season , he promoted Bum Phillips to head coach , with Biles becoming the team ' s defensive coordinator . Over the next six seasons , the team showed constant improvement , reaching the AFC Championship game in both 1978 and 1979 . Head coach . In 1980 , the Oilers ' hopes of dethroning the Pittsburgh Steelers were stopped not by Pittsburgh , but the Cleveland Browns . Houston reached the playoffs , but three days after an embarrassing loss to the Oakland Raiders in the 1980 AFC Wild Card game , Phillips was fired by Oilers owner Bud Adams . On January 2 , 1981 , Biles was tabbed as the team ' s head coach . Biles inherited an aging football team and was unable to maintain the winning ways , falling to 7 - 9 in 1981 before dropping to 1 - 8 in the strike - shortened 1982 NFL season . When the team lost its first six games the next year , a string that extended a losing streak to 13 games , Biles resigned on October 10 , 1983 , and was replaced by defensive coordinator Chuck Studley . Biles ' frustration was evident at his final press conference when he said , " I ' ve been a punching bag . I ' ve been in the eye of the hurricane for two and a half years , the center of all controversies . I ' ve felt like I ' ve had enough . " Later career . Biles never returned to the NFL , but remained in touch with the sport by serving as a color commentator for high school and college games in Texas . He was also inducted into both the Hamilton County ( Ohio ) and Xavier University Halls of Fame , and Reading high School In 2005 , he was hired as head coach of the Cincinnati Marshalls of the National Indoor Football League , but resigned on May 31 when additional duties were given due to the team ' s shaky financial condition . In late 2006 , Coach Biles was hired as an assistant to the head coach of the Texas Copperheads of the af2 , the minor league system of the Arena Football League .