Cowboys Owner Jones Fully in Charge Again

Jones Back Atop Cowboys' Hierarchy-see my comments at the end.

By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Jerry Jones insists Wade Phillips will have as much input into personnel decisions for the Dallas Cowboys as Bill Parcells had. It even says so in his contract, Jones added.

Then came the kicker: Dave Campo and Chan Gailey had the same wording in their contracts.

So forget what's on the legal documents and focus on the reality. After four years of working alongside Bill Parcells, Jones is once again taking full advantage of his dual titles as owner and general manager.

"It's just not correct that I don't have the ability or the energy or the skills to do what I do every time I make a decision," Jones said Thursday, following the hiring of Phillips. "I talk to a lot of people and get a lot of different perspectives before I make a decision. I get a lot of input and I factor it. If I didn't get the input and didn't do the homework, shame on me."

Jones views the Parcells experiment as vindicating. He sucked in his ego and appeased his critics by bringing in a proven "football guy" to help shape the organization.

And while Jones says "We are better off in a very significant way because Bill was here," he couldn't help but point out that the Cowboys won as many playoff games under their high-falutin' coach (zero) as they did under Gailey and Campo, who were mocked for being Jones puppets.

"It didn't work," Jones said of the Parcells Era. "We had some success, but at the end of the day we did not have the kind of success we wanted."

Thus, Jones feels free to doing things another way. His way.

He went into the coaching search looking for someone who could develop quarterback Tony Romo. Norv Turner was his best bet, although Jones was so impressed with Jason Garrett that he hired him away from Miami without knowing what role he'd have.

Jones liked the idea of Turner and Garrett working with Romo and the rest of the offense. Problem was, Jones still had to fix the team's bigger problem: defense.

He could've hired Ron Rivera to put in the 4-3 scheme Rivera used to get the Chicago Bears into the Super Bowl. But Jones, the general manager, decided he really wanted to stick with the 3-4 scheme that Jones, the owner, had spent so much time and money putting together for Parcells the last two years.

"I looked at it with an open mind," Jones said of changing defensive styles. "But at the end of the day, I decided I didn't want to. I wanted to keep going in the way we were going. ...

"I think it is fair for somebody in my role to make those decisions about the way you're going and the schemes in general, the philosophy," Jones added. "Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to tell (the coach) how to line up and whether to shade or stunt, those sorts of things. That's not what I'm going to do. But I can decide we are going to play the 3-4."

That led him back to Phillips, with Garrett running the offense.

"There's no question his availability opened some possibilities up with going with a more defensive-oriented head coach," Jones said.

Jones knows that he's taking a risk by entrusting Romo's development to Garrett, whose only coaching experience is two years as Miami's quarterbacks coach.

But it's a risk the former oil wildcatter is willing to take.

"Jason will be operating without a net," Jones said. "I like that. I think that brings out the best in people."

Garrett definitely has a good pedigree.

The son of a longtime NFL scout who spent many years working for the Cowboys, Garrett graduated from Princeton and played for the Cowboys, breaking in under Turner while backing up Troy Aikman. He later played for offensive gurus Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay and Sean Payton in New York.

Jones said he was thinking about hiring Garrett before Parcells retired. Now that he's here, he's already considered the front-runner to eventually replace Phillips.
Maybe yes, maybe no. But one thing is certain: When that time comes, Jones will having the final say.


OMG: so Jones thinks that BECAUSE Bill Parcells ONLY went 34-32 and lost 2 Playoff games in 4 years that HE(Jerry Jones/Owner/General Manager) knows more about football then Parcells, or even Jummy Johnson?? Come now...we have been down this road....Jones has come a long way since 1989,..but still, He's not Paul Brown. Lets remember Mr. Jones' comment when he and Jimmy Johnson parted ways: I can get Barry Switzer to run this team.....and so he did...but it was still Johnson's Team and scheme that won. I'm a better Talent Evaluator then Jerry Jones is. So is my Late Father Btw...and all he ever did was Play Millitary service Football in Post war Germany, and then coach our Team in the NYC Housing Authority Athletic leauge.....
If the Cowboys are successful again it will be because of WADE Phillips,..not Jerry Jones....

USC's Steve Sarkisian Gets Second Interview With Oakland Raiders -- Big Raiders Mistake

It's personally vexing to me that Mr. Davis and the Raiders would reach for someone who ultimately will have to deal with much more than just play calling. I think it's a terrible move. I appreciate how much he wants the job but it's not like being a head coach is a simple matter. I do wish the Raiders would take a hard, long look at how their organization works.

Right now, it's still as if decisions are made on a whim, rather than with hard analysis. It seems as if the organization is in real denial regarding what causes its problems, and that's the simple fact that it has no long term plan for anything. It's really an example in how not to run a football organization and the results show up on the field.

Raiders, Sarkisian chat again - First candidate to get a second interview, he might get an offer, too
By Steve Corkran - MEDIANEWS STAFF
Article Last Updated: 01/18/2007 07:49:20 AM PST

USC assistant coach/quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian returned Wednesday for a second interview for the Raiders coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the search process confirmed.

There are strong indications that Sarkisian won't be leaving town without an offer to be the Raiders' next coach.

Sarkisian, 32, met with Raiders managing general partner Al Davis and other team officials throughout the day Wednesday and into the night. The parties are scheduled to pick up today where they left off Wednesday night, with the potential of the interview lasting until Friday some time.

The Raiders didn't release any details regarding Sarkisian's interview, per team policy. Sarkisian could not be reached for comment.

Sarkisian was the first candidate known to have interviewed with the Raiders, 10 days ago and four days after Davis fired Art Shell. He also is the only candidate who has received a second interview.

In between, Davis interviewed former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and San Diego Chargers wide receivers coach James Lofton.

Former Raiders assistant coach Marc Trestman also interviewed with Davis but not for the coaching vacancy. He was interviewed as a potential successor to Tom Walsh and John Shoop as the offensive coordinator.After his first interview Jan. 8, Sarkisian said: "It went extremely well. Anytime you get an opportunity to interview with a man like Al Davis, it's a great opportunity and one I'll cherish."

He added that his decision on whether to accept the Raiders job, if offered, won't hinge upon anything that happens with current USC coach Pete Carroll and USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, both of whom have been linked to other job openings in the NFL and college.

"I'm going for this job 100 percent," Sarkisian said. "I'm solely focused on this job with the Oakland Raiders."

Several people close to Davis said he is intent upon identifying and hiring a young coaching prospect. Davis also said he wants a "play-caller" as his next coach.

Sarkisian's role at USC does not include calling plays. Kiffin handles that aspect of the offense. Sarkisian works from the sideline and confers with Carroll on what plays might work best in a particular situation.

Sarkisian has worked with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and current USC quarterback John David Booty the past two years. He also worked with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer in his first coaching stint at USC.

He coached Rich Gannon, Kerry Collins and Marques Tuiasosopo during his one season as the quarterbacks coach with the Raiders in 2004. Raiders finished eighth in passing that season. This season, the Raiders ranked 31st in passing.

Davis has a long history of hiring little-known and inexperienced coaches to run the Raiders. He hired Pro Football Hall of Fame coach John Madden in 1969, when Madden was in his early 30s. Davis hired current Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden in 1998, when Gruden was only 34. He also hired current Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan in 1988, when Shanahan was only 35.

All three won at least one Super Bowl, though only Madden accomplished the feat with the Raiders. Davis fired Shanahan four games into the'89 season. The Raiders traded Gruden to the Buccaneers after Gruden's fourth season with the Raiders in 2001. Madden retired after a 10-year career from 1969-78.

Vikings Defensive Coordinator Mike Tomlin Favorite For Pittsburgh Steelers Job

Profootballtalk.com - Mike Florio

TOMLIN TO TAKE GRIMM'S GIG?

At a time when pretty much everyone in the league and the media believe that the Steelers will promote offensive line coach Russ Grimm to the position vacated by Coach Chin, don't rule out Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin.

Though some in the organization also believe that Grimm will be the guy, the reality is that the decision will be made, in the end, by Steelers chairman Dan Rooney and team president Art Rooney II, who are being very tight-lipped (we're told) about their plans.

Tomlin is regarded by the organization as a great candidate, but his lack of experience is a concern. Due to the Buccaneers' standard refusal to allow assistant coaches under contract to leave for bigger jobs other than head coach, Tomlin was stuck in Tampa until his deal expired, and he has worked as a defensive coordinator for only one year.

The Steelers conducted a second interview of Tomlin on Tuesday, meeting with him for several hours before taking him to a Penguins game at Mellon Arena.

And unless Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was merely looking for filler for his Wednesday item, the fact that he spent a full article getting the locals ready for the changes that would come if Tomlin gets the job could be a strong hint that Grimm might not be the guy who gets the gig.

We've said it before and we'll say it again -- we'd hire Tomlin. In a heartbeat. He instantly energized a Vikings defense that had played soft and loose and weak for most of the past decade. Sure, he's young; so were Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll.

And there's something to be said for learning on the job. Tomlin will improve, and the team that is employing him when he peaks will be a team that is annually in the conversation for the playoffs and the Super Bowl.