- Messages
- 5,432
- Reaction score
- 0
Dallas Cowboys may approach Pittsburgh Steelers aide in search for defensive coordinator
07:57 PM CST on Thursday, January 13, 2011
By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
The field of candidates for the Cowboys' opening at defensive coordinator went through wrenching changes Thursday.
One new possibility emerged: Pittsburgh Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton , whom the Cowboys have received permission to interview according to an NFL source. One possibility bowed out: Paul Pasqualoni , who returned to the collegiate level as head coach at Connecticut.
Two other interview subjects from this week – Vic Fangio and Greg Manusky – considered opportunities elsewhere, without splitting from the Cowboys.
Fangio will not return to Stanford after being passed over in the search for a successor to Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Fangio was waiting on Stanford's decision before plotting his next move. He has talked with Harbaugh about joining his staff with the San Francisco 49ers as defensive coordinator.
Manusky went through a job interview for the third consecutive day, meeting with San Diego. Manusky coached linebackers for the Chargers from 2002-06.
Manusky previously interviewed with the Cowboys and Arizona about their openings at defensive coordinator. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the sides are near an agreement.
Horton has ties to the Cowboys. He finished a 10-year career by playing cornerback and safety with the Cowboys at the start of the owner-general manager Jerry Jones era: 1989-92.
Horton, 50, has been an NFL assistant for 17 years, the last six with Pittsburgh. The Steelers' gig marks the second time he has worked for renowned defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, an advocate of heavy blitzing from the 3-4 alignment.
As the secondary coach, Horton figured in the development of the effective safety tandem of Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark. The Steelers' defense this season allowed a league-low 13.6 offensive points per game. It marked the second time in the last three seasons that the Steelers have allowed a league-low for offensive points per game.
With Pittsburgh in the playoffs, the earliest the Cowboys can talk to Horton would be Sunday, if the Steelers lose a divisional-round game against Baltimore a day earlier. If the Steelers advance to the AFC title game, the Cowboys cannot be in contact with Horton until Jan. 24.
Pasqualoni served as defensive coordinator for the final eight regular-season games this season in addition to working with defensive linemen. In the first eight games, with former coach Wade Phillips handling the defense, the Cowboys allowed 25.5 points per game and had 10 takeaways that resulted in 37 points. With Pasqualoni, the defense allowed 22.6 points per game and had 20 takeaways that led to 73 points.
Pasqualoni, a native of Connecticut, received a five-year deal worth about $7.5 million. He previously was the head coach at Syracuse, going 107-59-1 from 1991-2004.
"Paul is as good a person and as good a football coach as anyone that I have had the privilege to be associated with in my time as a player or coach in the NFL," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.
Pasqualoni is the second Cowboys assistant to depart since the end of the season. Garrett declined to renew the expiring contract of wide receivers coach Ray Sherman.
• • •
07:57 PM CST on Thursday, January 13, 2011
By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
The field of candidates for the Cowboys' opening at defensive coordinator went through wrenching changes Thursday.
One new possibility emerged: Pittsburgh Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton , whom the Cowboys have received permission to interview according to an NFL source. One possibility bowed out: Paul Pasqualoni , who returned to the collegiate level as head coach at Connecticut.
Two other interview subjects from this week – Vic Fangio and Greg Manusky – considered opportunities elsewhere, without splitting from the Cowboys.
Fangio will not return to Stanford after being passed over in the search for a successor to Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Fangio was waiting on Stanford's decision before plotting his next move. He has talked with Harbaugh about joining his staff with the San Francisco 49ers as defensive coordinator.
Manusky went through a job interview for the third consecutive day, meeting with San Diego. Manusky coached linebackers for the Chargers from 2002-06.
Manusky previously interviewed with the Cowboys and Arizona about their openings at defensive coordinator. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the sides are near an agreement.
Horton has ties to the Cowboys. He finished a 10-year career by playing cornerback and safety with the Cowboys at the start of the owner-general manager Jerry Jones era: 1989-92.
Horton, 50, has been an NFL assistant for 17 years, the last six with Pittsburgh. The Steelers' gig marks the second time he has worked for renowned defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, an advocate of heavy blitzing from the 3-4 alignment.
As the secondary coach, Horton figured in the development of the effective safety tandem of Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark. The Steelers' defense this season allowed a league-low 13.6 offensive points per game. It marked the second time in the last three seasons that the Steelers have allowed a league-low for offensive points per game.
With Pittsburgh in the playoffs, the earliest the Cowboys can talk to Horton would be Sunday, if the Steelers lose a divisional-round game against Baltimore a day earlier. If the Steelers advance to the AFC title game, the Cowboys cannot be in contact with Horton until Jan. 24.
Pasqualoni served as defensive coordinator for the final eight regular-season games this season in addition to working with defensive linemen. In the first eight games, with former coach Wade Phillips handling the defense, the Cowboys allowed 25.5 points per game and had 10 takeaways that resulted in 37 points. With Pasqualoni, the defense allowed 22.6 points per game and had 20 takeaways that led to 73 points.
Pasqualoni, a native of Connecticut, received a five-year deal worth about $7.5 million. He previously was the head coach at Syracuse, going 107-59-1 from 1991-2004.
"Paul is as good a person and as good a football coach as anyone that I have had the privilege to be associated with in my time as a player or coach in the NFL," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.
Pasqualoni is the second Cowboys assistant to depart since the end of the season. Garrett declined to renew the expiring contract of wide receivers coach Ray Sherman.
• • •
