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Some Old, Some New
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
This story originally appeared in Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. For subscription information, please click here.
Change is inevitable any time a new coach takes the big office, but the Cowboys have maintained a level of coaching stability under Jason Garrett.
Although Garrett's full-time promotion triggered a series of staff adjustments, the offense will continue in the same system since 2007. The entire roster also got acquainted with Garrett's overall approach during his eight-game trial as interim head coach, and 11 assistants are now back from 2009: Joe DeCamillis, Hudson Houck, John Garrett, Skip Peete, Wade Wilson, Dave Campo, Brett Maxie, Chris Boniol, Wes Phillips and Keith O'Quinn.
Garrett did put his own imprint on the 2011 staff by hiring six new assistants: Rob Ryan, Matt Eberflus, Brian Baker, Mike Woicik, Walt Williams and Ben Bloom. And a few incumbents have altered responsibilities.
Here is a closer look at the entire group, poised to lead the team back to NFC contention:
Rob Ryan, Defensive Coordinator
Ryan summarized his plan for revitalizing the defense in eight simple words:
"We're gonna sic 'em from the word 'go'," he said.
Ryan, who directed the defenses in Oakland and Cleveland since 2004, is known for a more complex, aggressive scheme than his predecessor Wade Phillips. Garrett liked Ryan's 3-4 scheme experience, as well as his reputation for maximizing his players' ability and effort.
"I think he creates an atmosphere where it's hard, it's tough, guys work at it, but at the same time they enjoy playing football for him," Garrett said. "A lot of different people told me that."
Jimmy Robinson, Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers
Robinson just won a Super Bowl ring coaching the Packers' deep and productive wide receivers. Now he'll hold the same position in Dallas, along with the title promotion of assistant head coach.
In addition to coaching talented wideouts Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, Robinson will provide another set of eyes with Garrett heavily involved in the weekly offensive game plan.
"I kind of view it as an opportunity to provide some kind of ideas on different ways of doing things, maybe structurally," Robinson said. "I think that's more for Jason (to describe) than it is for me, but I think after all these years of being in the league and different ways of doing things, (I've had) different coaching influences, a lot of different head coaches, a lot of great ones and really good people."
A 22-year NFL assistant, Robinson coached the Giants' receivers when Garrett was winding down his playing career in New York a decade ago.
"He's a very experienced football coach and he's coached a lot of different kinds of guys," Garrett said. "He's coached star players, he's coached role players, he's coached young guys, he's coached old guys, and they seem to respond to him. He's demanding. He's a very good technician, he holds them accountable to different things, blocking and some of those areas."
Joe DeCamillis, Special Teams Coordinator, and Chris Boniol, Assistant Special Teams/Kickers
DeCamillis is back running the entire special teams operation. Boniol, the former Cowboys kicker who became a full-time coach for David Buehler last year, will continue those duties in addition to aiding DeCamillis as needed.
Hudson Houck, Running Game Coordinator/Offensive Line, and John Garrett, Passing Game Coordinator/Tight Ends
Houck and Garrett again will coach the offensive line and tight ends, respectively. Jason Garrett will remain the primary play-caller, but Houck and John Garrett will help coordinate the separate running and passing functions while Jason oversees the entire roster on a daily basis.
This structure was largely in place during Garrett's eight-game interim tenure, without the official title designations.
"That usually occurs a lot during the week," John Garrett said. "So during the week, I, as everyone on the staff, will have increased responsibilities in organization, in planning, in all those jobs he used to do during the week, just alleviating it off of his plate, so to speak, to allow him to do his other jobs. It's real close to a continuation."
Wes Phillips, Assistant Offensive Line
Phillips was a quality control coach from 2007-09, assisting with the film breakdown and scouting analysis for upcoming opponents. Essentially Jason Garrett's right-hand man, Phillips' duties expanded to offensive assistant coach in 2010, and next season he will work alongside Houck with the offensive line.
Phillips attended the offensive line meetings last year and did some on-field coaching, too.
Wade Wilson, Quarterbacks
Wilson enters his eighth year (fifth consecutive) as the Cowboys' quarterbacks coach, working directly with Tony Romo and his backups.
Jon Kitna led Dallas to a 4-2 record during Romo's absence last year, and third-stringer Stephen McGee directed two late touchdown drives in a Christmas loss to Arizona and a finale win over Philadelphia.
Skip Peete, Running Backs
Peete returns for a fifth season as running backs coach. Fourth-year veterans Felix Jones and Tashard Choice have only known Peete as their NFL coach.
Last year Jones became the primary rusher and set career highs in carries (185), rushing yardage (800), catches (48) and receiving yardage (450).
Matt Eberflus, Linebackers
With ex-linebackers coach Reggie Herring joining Wade Phillips on the Texans' defensive staff, the Cowboys hired Eberflus, Ryan's linebackers coach in Cleveland from 2008-09.
Ryan called Eberflus, 40, a "rising star" in the profession.
"He's my right hand," Ryan said. "He does a great job. He's not only smart, he works really well with the players. He's a technician. He's excellent at ideas. His mind is always working. I like a guy like that."
Brian Baker, Defensive Line
Baker replaces Paul Pasqualoni, who took the head-coaching job at the University of Connecticut after one season overseeing the Cowboys' defensive line and an eight-game stint as interim defensive coordinator.
Baker has 27 years of coaching experience, including 15 as an NFL assistant, most recently in Carolina as the Panthers' defensive line coach. He has coached the position for five teams (Chargers, Lions, Vikings, Rams and Panthers) and had taken the same title at the University of North Carolina in January before the Cowboys pursued him. Among the players who have thrived under Baker are ex-Cowboy La'Roi Glover (Rams), Leonard Little (Rams) and Kevin Williams (Vikings).
Baker and Garrett don't have a direct coaching connection, but he was highly recommended.
"I'm very demanding on players," Baker said. "I hold them accountable, responsible. I let them know that we're in it together, but my role is to push them as hard as they can push."
Dave Campo and Brett Maxie, Defensive Backs
Campo and Maxie again will direct the secondary together next season. Maxie has worked more extensively with the safeties since coming to Dallas in 2008.
Garrett told Campo after the season that he wanted the veteran coach back for an 18th year in the Cowboys organization, though Campo wasn't sure if he would again direct the secondary. The Cowboys had interest in Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton in some capacity, but Horton became Arizona's defensive coordinator, so Campo returned in his same role.
"Jason made it very clear to me right from the very beginning that he wanted to try to get some new ideas, new things in, which I think he's done a great job of with the guys he's added to the staff," Campo said. "I did not know exactly what my role was going to be, but he made it clear to me that he wanted me to be here and be part of it and to help him. That's all I really care about at this point in my career. Now, would I have wanted to come off the field? No, because I enjoy being on the field. I enjoy the teaching part and I think that's my strength."
Mike Woicik, Strength and Conditioning, and Walt Williams, Assistant Strength and Conditioning
Woicik is back for his second tenure in Dallas, replacing Joe Juraszek, who took a medical leave of absence in 2010. Woicik has six Super Bowl rings: three with the Cowboys in the 1990s, and three with the Patriots in the 2000s. Walt Williams will assist Woicik's program.
"Mike Woicik is an outstanding football coach," Garrett said. "I had the good fortune of playing for Coach Woicik in the '90s for some of those Super Bowl teams with the Cowboys and his track record speaks for itself. He won three Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys then turned around and won three more with New England.
"It isn't by accident. He contributes to those teams. You ask guys who were part of the team I was a part of in the '90s, his role in their development individually, his role in our development as a football team was significant."
Keith O'Quinn, Offensive Quality Control/Wide receivers, and Ben Bloom, Defensive Quality Control/Linebackers
A quality control/offensive assistant last year, O'Quinn has also worked in the Cowboys' scouting department and served as the Browns' director of player personnel.
Bloom will help Eberflus as the second assistant to join Ryan from the Cleveland staff.
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
This story originally appeared in Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. For subscription information, please click here.
Change is inevitable any time a new coach takes the big office, but the Cowboys have maintained a level of coaching stability under Jason Garrett.
Although Garrett's full-time promotion triggered a series of staff adjustments, the offense will continue in the same system since 2007. The entire roster also got acquainted with Garrett's overall approach during his eight-game trial as interim head coach, and 11 assistants are now back from 2009: Joe DeCamillis, Hudson Houck, John Garrett, Skip Peete, Wade Wilson, Dave Campo, Brett Maxie, Chris Boniol, Wes Phillips and Keith O'Quinn.
Garrett did put his own imprint on the 2011 staff by hiring six new assistants: Rob Ryan, Matt Eberflus, Brian Baker, Mike Woicik, Walt Williams and Ben Bloom. And a few incumbents have altered responsibilities.
Here is a closer look at the entire group, poised to lead the team back to NFC contention:
Rob Ryan, Defensive Coordinator
Ryan summarized his plan for revitalizing the defense in eight simple words:
"We're gonna sic 'em from the word 'go'," he said.
Ryan, who directed the defenses in Oakland and Cleveland since 2004, is known for a more complex, aggressive scheme than his predecessor Wade Phillips. Garrett liked Ryan's 3-4 scheme experience, as well as his reputation for maximizing his players' ability and effort.
"I think he creates an atmosphere where it's hard, it's tough, guys work at it, but at the same time they enjoy playing football for him," Garrett said. "A lot of different people told me that."
Jimmy Robinson, Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers
Robinson just won a Super Bowl ring coaching the Packers' deep and productive wide receivers. Now he'll hold the same position in Dallas, along with the title promotion of assistant head coach.
In addition to coaching talented wideouts Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, Robinson will provide another set of eyes with Garrett heavily involved in the weekly offensive game plan.
"I kind of view it as an opportunity to provide some kind of ideas on different ways of doing things, maybe structurally," Robinson said. "I think that's more for Jason (to describe) than it is for me, but I think after all these years of being in the league and different ways of doing things, (I've had) different coaching influences, a lot of different head coaches, a lot of great ones and really good people."
A 22-year NFL assistant, Robinson coached the Giants' receivers when Garrett was winding down his playing career in New York a decade ago.
"He's a very experienced football coach and he's coached a lot of different kinds of guys," Garrett said. "He's coached star players, he's coached role players, he's coached young guys, he's coached old guys, and they seem to respond to him. He's demanding. He's a very good technician, he holds them accountable to different things, blocking and some of those areas."
Joe DeCamillis, Special Teams Coordinator, and Chris Boniol, Assistant Special Teams/Kickers
DeCamillis is back running the entire special teams operation. Boniol, the former Cowboys kicker who became a full-time coach for David Buehler last year, will continue those duties in addition to aiding DeCamillis as needed.
Hudson Houck, Running Game Coordinator/Offensive Line, and John Garrett, Passing Game Coordinator/Tight Ends
Houck and Garrett again will coach the offensive line and tight ends, respectively. Jason Garrett will remain the primary play-caller, but Houck and John Garrett will help coordinate the separate running and passing functions while Jason oversees the entire roster on a daily basis.
This structure was largely in place during Garrett's eight-game interim tenure, without the official title designations.
"That usually occurs a lot during the week," John Garrett said. "So during the week, I, as everyone on the staff, will have increased responsibilities in organization, in planning, in all those jobs he used to do during the week, just alleviating it off of his plate, so to speak, to allow him to do his other jobs. It's real close to a continuation."
Wes Phillips, Assistant Offensive Line
Phillips was a quality control coach from 2007-09, assisting with the film breakdown and scouting analysis for upcoming opponents. Essentially Jason Garrett's right-hand man, Phillips' duties expanded to offensive assistant coach in 2010, and next season he will work alongside Houck with the offensive line.
Phillips attended the offensive line meetings last year and did some on-field coaching, too.
Wade Wilson, Quarterbacks
Wilson enters his eighth year (fifth consecutive) as the Cowboys' quarterbacks coach, working directly with Tony Romo and his backups.
Jon Kitna led Dallas to a 4-2 record during Romo's absence last year, and third-stringer Stephen McGee directed two late touchdown drives in a Christmas loss to Arizona and a finale win over Philadelphia.
Skip Peete, Running Backs
Peete returns for a fifth season as running backs coach. Fourth-year veterans Felix Jones and Tashard Choice have only known Peete as their NFL coach.
Last year Jones became the primary rusher and set career highs in carries (185), rushing yardage (800), catches (48) and receiving yardage (450).
Matt Eberflus, Linebackers
With ex-linebackers coach Reggie Herring joining Wade Phillips on the Texans' defensive staff, the Cowboys hired Eberflus, Ryan's linebackers coach in Cleveland from 2008-09.
Ryan called Eberflus, 40, a "rising star" in the profession.
"He's my right hand," Ryan said. "He does a great job. He's not only smart, he works really well with the players. He's a technician. He's excellent at ideas. His mind is always working. I like a guy like that."
Brian Baker, Defensive Line
Baker replaces Paul Pasqualoni, who took the head-coaching job at the University of Connecticut after one season overseeing the Cowboys' defensive line and an eight-game stint as interim defensive coordinator.
Baker has 27 years of coaching experience, including 15 as an NFL assistant, most recently in Carolina as the Panthers' defensive line coach. He has coached the position for five teams (Chargers, Lions, Vikings, Rams and Panthers) and had taken the same title at the University of North Carolina in January before the Cowboys pursued him. Among the players who have thrived under Baker are ex-Cowboy La'Roi Glover (Rams), Leonard Little (Rams) and Kevin Williams (Vikings).
Baker and Garrett don't have a direct coaching connection, but he was highly recommended.
"I'm very demanding on players," Baker said. "I hold them accountable, responsible. I let them know that we're in it together, but my role is to push them as hard as they can push."
Dave Campo and Brett Maxie, Defensive Backs
Campo and Maxie again will direct the secondary together next season. Maxie has worked more extensively with the safeties since coming to Dallas in 2008.
Garrett told Campo after the season that he wanted the veteran coach back for an 18th year in the Cowboys organization, though Campo wasn't sure if he would again direct the secondary. The Cowboys had interest in Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton in some capacity, but Horton became Arizona's defensive coordinator, so Campo returned in his same role.
"Jason made it very clear to me right from the very beginning that he wanted to try to get some new ideas, new things in, which I think he's done a great job of with the guys he's added to the staff," Campo said. "I did not know exactly what my role was going to be, but he made it clear to me that he wanted me to be here and be part of it and to help him. That's all I really care about at this point in my career. Now, would I have wanted to come off the field? No, because I enjoy being on the field. I enjoy the teaching part and I think that's my strength."
Mike Woicik, Strength and Conditioning, and Walt Williams, Assistant Strength and Conditioning
Woicik is back for his second tenure in Dallas, replacing Joe Juraszek, who took a medical leave of absence in 2010. Woicik has six Super Bowl rings: three with the Cowboys in the 1990s, and three with the Patriots in the 2000s. Walt Williams will assist Woicik's program.
"Mike Woicik is an outstanding football coach," Garrett said. "I had the good fortune of playing for Coach Woicik in the '90s for some of those Super Bowl teams with the Cowboys and his track record speaks for itself. He won three Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys then turned around and won three more with New England.
"It isn't by accident. He contributes to those teams. You ask guys who were part of the team I was a part of in the '90s, his role in their development individually, his role in our development as a football team was significant."
Keith O'Quinn, Offensive Quality Control/Wide receivers, and Ben Bloom, Defensive Quality Control/Linebackers
A quality control/offensive assistant last year, O'Quinn has also worked in the Cowboys' scouting department and served as the Browns' director of player personnel.
Bloom will help Eberflus as the second assistant to join Ryan from the Cleveland staff.
