Cowboys like Marinelli's personal touch

[Cowboysrule122]

ESPNDallas.com



The Cowboys enjoy having a veteran coaching staff, and almost at the top of that is defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.

The veteran coach develops close relationships with the defensive players, particularly the linemen.

Last season, Marinelli placed notes in the lockers of his starting defensive linemen and gave them nicknames which encourage them to get sacks.

Jason Hatcher was called "Big Daddy," DeMarcus Ware was "Long Arms," George Selvie the "Bricklayer," and Nick Hayden was the "Golden Cock" based on what he described concerning his positioning on the defensive line.

Only Selvie and Hayden remain, with Hatcher and Ware having left the team during the free-agency period.

Newly acquired defensive tackle Henry Melton said one of the big reasons why he's with the Cowboys is Marinelli. Melton said the veteran coach cares about his players on and off the field and is a father figure to some.

"I'm excited to come back home and work with Rod [Marinelli] and get back to my Pro Bowl form," Melton said after he signed with the Cowboys. "It's a great group of guys there and I've talked to them the last few days."

Former linebacker Ernie Sims praised Marinelli for being a positive influence in his life.

It's something coach Jason Garrett admires.

"I think that has a lot to do with his ability to coach these guys as well as he does," he said. "He develops relationships with them. It’s not easy when you play for Rod Marinelli. It’s a hard days worth in a really good way. But I think when you’re asking guys to do a lot and demanding that guys do a lot, developing that relationship with them is an important piece to that. They understand that what you’re asking them to do is in their best interest and ultimately in the team’s best interest. Again, he has a great track record of guys at a lot of different levels, getting the most out of them. I think that has a lot to do with it."

 

[Jon88]

I hear Nick Hayden got the nickname "Golden Cock" because he used to bang Charlotte.

 

[dbair1967]

I hear Nick Hayden got the nickname "Golden Cock" because he used to bang Charlotte.

lucky him

 

[boozeman]

The way that Marinelli is being described as some football God, they had better get him some talent pronto. If we don't add a couple of impact DL out of this draft, things are going to get ugly in a hurry.

 

[cmd34(work)]

This fan base falls for it every damn year.

Insert assistant coach or strength and conditioning guy name here is exactly what this team needs. He will whip everyone into shape!

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Simpletons.

 

[Jon88]

We've actually gotten worse since Woicek took over for Jurasek. I've never seen so many pulled hamstrings in my life.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

The way that Marinelli is being described as some football God, they had better get him some talent pronto. If we don't add a couple of impact DL out of this draft, things are going to get ugly in a hurry.

But he's still not the football deity Will McClay is.

 

[Midswat]

This fan base falls for it every damn year.

Insert assistant coach or strength and conditioning guy name here is exactly what this team needs. He will whip everyone into shape!

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Simpletons.

"Jerome Henderson alone is good for two wins." -- Hostile

 

[Jon88]

What a moron.

 

[boozeman]

"Jerome Henderson alone is good for two wins." -- Hostile

Actually, I think the fact Old Man Kiffin having to inherit both Henderson and Eberflus hurt him trying to get his defense installed.

That is what happens every time there is a coaching change. That guy is never allowed to reinvent the staff.

There is always some holdover that the new coach has to assume because Jerry is cheap like that in regards to coaches. He would never do what the Browns ownership has done, which is eat millions in coaches salaries. He'd rather just force them on his coaches.

 

[cmd34(work)]

but we are the same as every other organization.

right?

the cabal likes this

 

[boozeman]

but we are the same as every other organization.

right?

the cabal likes this

Actually there are a few cases where you see this.

And when Jones decides he's going to fire a head coach, there is always a trade off.

You just do not see at as a standard practice as deep as we do it.

I honestly think every single head coach Jerry has hired has had to assume some coach. Most of the time they are significant, even down to the coordinator being hired as a head coach in waiting like Garrett. Or like Parcells being gently convinced that Zimmer was the guy he needed to run his defense.

With a radical departure from one scheme to another, we should have cleaned house and if Kiffin was really the guy we wanted to bring in, we should have got that system implemented with coaches who knew it and could run it.

It's like having Campo stroll in trying to coach a 3-4 secondary. C'mon.

All in all, if you are going to start over, which is what we did, you get guys who know what the eff it is all about. At least in one spot.

The Tampa 2 is not a defense predicated just on the DL. In fact, I think that Marinelli probably has the easiest job of all.

It is a system that places a lot of responsibility on the MLB and corners because the DL is for all practical purposes told to sic the QB.

 

[cmd34(work)]

Well, and maybe it's just the blind stupid optimism that barely exists in me, but I think if Garrett gets the axe, the new HC will have a lot more say/control, I mean actual control, than the past few clowns.

Although, I could see Marinelli being forced, good or bad, on the next guy.

 

[boozeman]

Well, and maybe it's just the blind stupid optimism that barely exists in me, but I think if Garrett gets the axe, the new HC will have a lot more say/control, I mean actual control, than the past few clowns.

Although, I could see Marinelli being forced, good or bad, on the next guy.

Depends on the contract. I think Marinelli is around for one more year. I think all of these guys are in that boat.

So even if the new guy takes over, it can be sold as "change" because the whole staff went, Jerry took them all to the woodshed, he means business, blah blah blah.

I wish coaches contract statuses were published like player's ones were.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Well, and maybe it's just the blind stupid optimism that barely exists in me, but I think if Garrett gets the axe, the new HC will have a lot more say/control, I mean actual control, than the past few clowns.

Although, I could see Marinelli being forced, good or bad, on the next guy.

I'm with you. Sadly, things will have to go pretty bad for Jerry to make a move at all. But if they do go that bad, Jerry will be forced to get more of a proven commodity and that coach will have some leverage.

Though I will say that I think some offensive-minded HCs probably don't have super strong feelings one way or another on their DC as long as he's good. I doubt a Holmgren or even an Art Briles would mind Marinelli, assuming he does a good job like he did with the Bears.