Moore: Why did Cowboys go with Bill Callahan over Tony Sparano?

[Midswat]

By David Moore / Reporter
dmoore@dallasnews.com | Bio

Tony Sparano is respected at Valley Ranch. The former Miami Dolphins head coach worked well with Jason Garrett when the two were assistants on the Cowboys staff.

So why did the Cowboys end up with Bill Callahan instead of Sparano to replace the retiring Hudson Houck?

It has to do with Garrett's dual role as head coach and offensive coordinator.

Sparano was a strong candidate to return. He spent five seasons with the Cowboys, rising from a tight ends coach under head coach Bill Parcells to an assistant head coach. He called plays for the team in 2006 but handed that responsibility over to Garrett when he joined the coaching staff in '07.

Garrett has made it clear he does not intend to give up his play-calling duties as head coach and owner Jerry Jones has been supportive of that stance. That limited Sparano's interest and his attractiveness to the club.

Callahan had no such concerns. After he turned down a contract extension to remain with the New York Jets, the dominos began to fall.

Sparano now appears headed to the Jets to replace Brian Schottenheimer as the offensive coordinator. He will call the plays.

Callahan will come to Dallas to oversee an offensive line that runs a similar scheme to the one he coached in New York. Garrett will retain his play-calling duties. All are happy.

Can Cowboys fans say the same?

 

[Theebs]

its a bummer.

Sparano would have been great back here. Felt like he belonged here.

Why garrett or jerry or whoever's decision this is wont let someone else call plays is kind of odd. Just seems stubborn.

Two miserable seasons, every step should be taken to get better.

Not a hiring a guy like sparano because of something like this seems like the goal is not completely clear, its like we want to win but only this way....its like a qualifier or something.

 

[Midswat]

I'm not going to cry over Sparano. Would it have been nice? Sure.

But we ended up with a very good offensive line coach in Callahan. I love this hire.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Callahan is by no means a bad consolation prize.

 

[dbair1967]

Why is it again that Sparano is considered such an offensive guru?

He was so good at it that the owner forced him to hire an outside offensive coordinator last yr and go to an entirely different system.

I have zero problem with this whatsoever. Sparano was never going to be hired as the OC here, he would have been the OL coach. And Callahan is a very highly regarded OL coach/

 

[Theebs]

I'm not going to cry over Sparano. Would it have been nice? Sure.

But we ended up with a very good offensive line coach in Callahan. I love this hire.

not crying by any means, but these two have had success before. Adding callahan and sporano would just have been better.

i like the idea of a figurehead and Jason has all the makings of that. I still wonder if a guy like cam cameron is available at some point in the next couple of weeks if jason brings him on board.

i dont think so but just wondering.

 

[Theebs]

Why is it again that Sparano is considered such an offensive guru?

He was so good at it that the owner forced him to hire an outside offensive coordinator last yr and go to an entirely different system.

I have zero problem with this whatsoever. Sparano was never going to be hired as the OC here, he would have been the OL coach. And Callahan is a very highly regarded OL coach/

No one has even considered him a guru. But he is a good coach and worked well with both garretts in 07.

They hired a coordinator in miami with the realization that there was so much else for the head coach to be doing he needed help.

Again, I like a figurehead in charge and I liked sparano last time he was here and think his personality would be good for this group of guys.

 

[carphalen5150]

I like that we hired someone who did not have ties to anyone in the organization. This team has needed an enema for a long time, so having someone with fresh ideas is outstanding. His lines in Oakland were great, Nebraska never embraced the WCO as a culture, and the Jets were just a team train wreck this year.

 

[dbair1967]

not crying by any means, but these two have had success before. Adding callahan and sporano would just have been better.

i like the idea of a figurehead and Jason has all the makings of that. I still wonder if a guy like cam cameron is available at some point in the next couple of weeks if jason brings him on board.

i dont think so but just wondering.

They obviously dont intend to add an OC, which is fine by me.

Maybe it came down to 1) They consider Callahan a better OL coach than Sparano and/or 2) Sparano was insisting on a job where he could call plays.

 

[dbair1967]

No one has even considered him a guru. But he is a good coach and worked well with both garretts in 07.

They hired a coordinator in miami with the realization that there was so much else for the head coach to be doing he needed help.

Again, I like a figurehead in charge and I liked sparano last time he was here and think his personality would be good for this group of guys.

Thats not what they reported as the reason at the time the change was made. They said the owner insisted that Sprano give up play calling and bring in someone from outside, with his own system.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

its a bummer.

Sparano would have been great back here. Felt like he belonged here.

Why garrett or jerry or whoever's decision this is wont let someone else call plays is kind of odd. Just seems stubborn.

Two miserable seasons, every step should be taken to get better.

Not a hiring a guy like sparano because of something like this seems like the goal is not completely clear, its like we want to win but only this way....its like a qualifier or something.

It's pretty easy. Garrett is just another imperious Ivy Leaguer.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

No use crying over spilt Sparano.

 

[Slatemosphere]

I really dont mind Garrett as a playcaller. Our redzone production improved this year. I just really don't like Garretts time management.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

I'm happy with Callahan he knows how to coach offensive linemen...

 

[Rock Slamdance]

No use crying over spilt Sparano.

 

[Cr122]

The more I think about it it wouldn't of worked with Tony and Jason their ego's would've gotten in the way of one another.

Jason won't give up play calling and Sparano would most likely want to be an OC at least. Not just an offensive line coach.