sbk92
2
- Messages
- 12,134
- Reaction score
- 6
By JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News
jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
ARLINGTON – During his 21-year reign as Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones has changed head coaches about every three years. If Jason Garrett wants to survive longer than that, he must run the team his way.
Garrett must have the authority to hire and fire coaches. And, to some degree, players.
He must have the authority to dispense fines and punishment, because it's the only way for the players to fully understand that Garrett – not Jerry – determines their fate.
Otherwise, three years from now we'll be talking about the next coach charged with making the Cowboys relevant again.
For now, Garrett and Jones are saying the right things. Actually, Jones went overboard telling us Garrett has the kind of power and control Wade Phillips never did.
During Garrett's introductory news conference Thursday afternoon, Garrett was asked whether he'd hire his staff or if it would be a joint decision with Jones. Before Garrett could answer, Jerry sprung from his chair atop the podium at Cowboys Stadium, strode to the lectern and motioned for Garrett to step back.
Then the owner spoke.
"Jason will have the final say on any person that leaves the coaching staff or comes to the coaching staff," Jones said. "There won't be a player on this team that Jason does not want on the team."
We'll see.
Bill Parcells had contractual authority to hire and fire coaches. If you believe Jimmy Johnson, he did, too.
Garrett does not.
He has a handshake. Or Jerry's word.
Let's hope Garrett doesn't yearn for the day his agent included a clause giving him contractual authority of the staff and the roster.
After all, we all know Parcells didn't really want Terrell Owens on his roster in 2006. Ultimately, though, Parcells acquiesced and Jerry signed TO.
Ironically, most folks view Jerry as a control freak who browbeats coaches into doing his bidding.
Wrong.
Jones will give a coach whatever he wants or needs to succeed – Parcells wanted an indoor training facility – but the coach must have the gumption to ask for it. And if Jerry says no, then the coach must have the confidence to persevere and cajole Jones until he gets what he wants.
Jones is charismatic, a natural salesman. He's a master at persuading people to do what he wants. Garrett must resist his spell.
If Garrett wants Todd Bowles as his defensive coordinator, then fine. If he wants Mike Nolan, that's cool, too. Eric Mangini? Great.
It doesn't matter whom he hires, as long as Garrett makes the final decision. It's important for a coaching staff to be loyal to Garrett instead of to the owner.
Jerry hired Garrett as offensive coordinator before he hired Phillips to coach the team in 2007, which is crazy. Then Garrett essentially hired all the offensive assistants, which is insane.
The head coach should hire his staff. It's not complicated.
We all know Jones loves marketing the Cowboys, which is why he likes having training camp in different locales. Last year's training camp was a joke, in part, because the Cowboys kept crisscrossing the country, playing five games in three time zones.
Jerry can split camp between San Antonio and Oxnard, Calif., but Garrett must stand up to him if any marketing issue affects the preparation of the team. Garrett said he wants training camp practices to be physical, undoubtedly leading to major and minor injuries.
When that happens and Jones wants Garrett to back off, the coach must defy the owner. He can't wilt like Phillips did after Dez Bryant sprained his ankle in practice, and turn training camp into summer camp.
"I do not want sole decision-making power over everything," Garrett said. "There's a reason you have staffs. There's a reason you have a personnel department and coaching staffs. You communicate. You talk.
"You have people you can trust and rely on and have a back and forth on a variety of topics, and you come to a conclusion together."
That's fine, as long as Garrett makes the final decisions about football matters.
jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
ARLINGTON – During his 21-year reign as Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones has changed head coaches about every three years. If Jason Garrett wants to survive longer than that, he must run the team his way.
Garrett must have the authority to hire and fire coaches. And, to some degree, players.
He must have the authority to dispense fines and punishment, because it's the only way for the players to fully understand that Garrett – not Jerry – determines their fate.
Otherwise, three years from now we'll be talking about the next coach charged with making the Cowboys relevant again.
For now, Garrett and Jones are saying the right things. Actually, Jones went overboard telling us Garrett has the kind of power and control Wade Phillips never did.
During Garrett's introductory news conference Thursday afternoon, Garrett was asked whether he'd hire his staff or if it would be a joint decision with Jones. Before Garrett could answer, Jerry sprung from his chair atop the podium at Cowboys Stadium, strode to the lectern and motioned for Garrett to step back.
Then the owner spoke.
"Jason will have the final say on any person that leaves the coaching staff or comes to the coaching staff," Jones said. "There won't be a player on this team that Jason does not want on the team."
We'll see.
Bill Parcells had contractual authority to hire and fire coaches. If you believe Jimmy Johnson, he did, too.
Garrett does not.
He has a handshake. Or Jerry's word.
Let's hope Garrett doesn't yearn for the day his agent included a clause giving him contractual authority of the staff and the roster.
After all, we all know Parcells didn't really want Terrell Owens on his roster in 2006. Ultimately, though, Parcells acquiesced and Jerry signed TO.
Ironically, most folks view Jerry as a control freak who browbeats coaches into doing his bidding.
Wrong.
Jones will give a coach whatever he wants or needs to succeed – Parcells wanted an indoor training facility – but the coach must have the gumption to ask for it. And if Jerry says no, then the coach must have the confidence to persevere and cajole Jones until he gets what he wants.
Jones is charismatic, a natural salesman. He's a master at persuading people to do what he wants. Garrett must resist his spell.
If Garrett wants Todd Bowles as his defensive coordinator, then fine. If he wants Mike Nolan, that's cool, too. Eric Mangini? Great.
It doesn't matter whom he hires, as long as Garrett makes the final decision. It's important for a coaching staff to be loyal to Garrett instead of to the owner.
Jerry hired Garrett as offensive coordinator before he hired Phillips to coach the team in 2007, which is crazy. Then Garrett essentially hired all the offensive assistants, which is insane.
The head coach should hire his staff. It's not complicated.
We all know Jones loves marketing the Cowboys, which is why he likes having training camp in different locales. Last year's training camp was a joke, in part, because the Cowboys kept crisscrossing the country, playing five games in three time zones.
Jerry can split camp between San Antonio and Oxnard, Calif., but Garrett must stand up to him if any marketing issue affects the preparation of the team. Garrett said he wants training camp practices to be physical, undoubtedly leading to major and minor injuries.
When that happens and Jones wants Garrett to back off, the coach must defy the owner. He can't wilt like Phillips did after Dez Bryant sprained his ankle in practice, and turn training camp into summer camp.
"I do not want sole decision-making power over everything," Garrett said. "There's a reason you have staffs. There's a reason you have a personnel department and coaching staffs. You communicate. You talk.
"You have people you can trust and rely on and have a back and forth on a variety of topics, and you come to a conclusion together."
That's fine, as long as Garrett makes the final decisions about football matters.
