The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Take Jeff Fisher's name out of the speculation on who might replace Bill Parcells with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Tennessee Titans have Fisher under contract for 2007 after owner Bud Adams picked up an option on his coach, and the team is working on a long-term extension.

"We haven't been contacted by Dallas," chief executive officer Steve Underwood said in a statement Tuesday. "In the event that we were, there are no circumstances that we would grant permission to the Cowboys to speak with Coach Fisher."

With the resignation of Bill Cowher from Pittsburgh on Jan. 5, Fisher is the NFL's longest-tenured coach with one team. He has spent 12 full seasons with the Titans, a tenure that started with six games in 1994 coaching the then-Houston Oilers with a 110-97 record.

Fisher also helped guide quarterback Vince Young to AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and an 8-8 record after an 0-5 start. Fisher is taking part in interviews for the team's next general manager who will replace Floyd Reese, who resigned on Jan. 5.

Even if Adams might not mind letting Fisher leave, Dallas would be the last team he would let steal away one of his coaches. Adams still lives in Houston where his Oilers fought to attract attention away from the Cowboys in Texas before relocating to Tennessee in 1997.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys commenced the search for a successor to Parcells on Tuesday, beginning what figures to be an expansive process by interviewing three in-house candidates.

Owner Jerry Jones met with assistant head coach Tony Sparano, secondary coach Todd Bowles and wide receivers coach Todd Haley. The Cowboys are also seeking permission to speak with Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

While none of the three possesses the kind of high profile Jones is likely to seek, all have merit and all were held in high regard by Parcells.

A six-year NFL veteran, Sparano, 45, might have the most legitimate shot of the three, given that he worked closely with quarterback Tony Romo and called most of the plays on offense. Dallas this week denied at least one other NFL team permission to speak to Sparano about a vacancy on its staff.

Sparano served as head coach at New Haven (1994-98), where his teams made two trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs and lost in the 1997 championship game. His NFL resume includes stops at Cleveland (1999-2000), Washington (2001) and Jacksonville (2002). He joined the Dallas staff in 2003.

A former NFL defensive back, Bowles, 43, played eight seasons for the Washington Redskins (1986-90, 1992-93) and San Francisco 49ers (1991). He has six years of experience as an NFL assistant coach and, had Parcells returned in 2007, likely would have been promoted to defensive coordinator to replace the departed Mike Zimmer.

Interviewing Bowles, an African-American, means the Cowboys have met the stipulations of the Rooney Rule, which mandates a team must interview at least one minority candidate.

Haley, 39, worked on Parcells' staff with the New York Jets, his first job in the league. He was on the Chicago staff after that, before he reunited with Parcells in Dallas in 2004. Haley is a potential candidate for the offensive coordinator position with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cowboys also have interest in Dolphins quarterbacks coach Jason Garrett, a former Troy Aikman backup in Dallas. Garrett -- who has a year remaining on his Miami contract -- has been offered a three-year deal to remain on new coach Cam Cameron's staff.

According to ESPN's Ed Werder and Chris Mortensen, one scenario the Cowboys are believed to have under consideration is hiring Garrett as offensive coordinator and then pairing him with either Phillips or Norv Turner, both of whom have previous NFL head-coaching experience.

Cowboys | Jones meets with Bowles about head coaching position
Tue, 23 Jan 2007 20:35:00 -0800 kffl.com

Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News, reports Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly met with secondary coach Todd Bowles to discuss the team's vacant head coaching position, according to several sources. Bowles is viewed as a possible replacement for Bill Parcells, who retired from coaching the team Monday, Jan. 22.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday he is not a candidate to coach the NFL's Dallas Cowboys or to leave the Sooners for any other job.

"To end speculation here in the heart of recruiting I want to make it clear that I am not interested in any other coaching positions at this time," Stoops said. "I am too excited about our future at Oklahoma and the program we're continuing to build."

Stoops is 86-19 in eight seasons at Oklahoma, where he has coached the Sooners to four Big 12 Conference titles and the 2000 national championship.

The Cowboys have hired a college coach from Oklahoma before -- albeit a retired one. Barry Switzer, who won three national titles during his tenure at Oklahoma, came out of retirement to coach Dallas for three seasons, winning a Super Bowl.

Cowboys | Jones meets with Haley about head coaching position
Tue, 23 Jan 2007 20:33:02 -0800

Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News, reports Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly met with passing game coordinator Todd Haley to discuss the team's vacant head coaching position, according to several sources. Haley is viewed as a possible replacement for Bill Parcells, who retired from coaching the team Monday, Jan. 22.

Cowboys | Jones meets with Sparano about head coaching position
Tue, 23 Jan 2007 20:30:34 -0800

Todd Archer, of The Dallas Morning News, reports Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly met with assistant head coach and offensive line coach Tony Sparano to discuss the team's vacant head coaching position, according to several sources. Sparano is viewed as a possible replacement for Bill Parcells, who retired from coaching the team Monday, Jan. 22.

Cowboys | Interested in Phillips
Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:07:13 -0800

ESPN's Ed Werder reports the Dallas Cowboys have requested permission from the San Diego Chargers to meet with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips regarding their vacant head coaching position.

IRVING - Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made a surprise hire when he convinced Bill Parcells to return to the NFL in 2003.

Does he have another surprise hire in the works? Or is he moving forward among the list of likely candidates?

Jones is head-hunting again, searching for his sixth coach since he bought the franchise in 1989. Only one coach -- Jimmy Johnson -- has lasted longer than four years.

Jones has a history of going in different directions when hiring the coach of America's Team. He went to the college ranks with his first two hires, went to NFL coordinators with his second two hires and then went for a league icon with his last.

So what's Jerry's next move? He has a working list of candidates, but the names on the list are unknown. At least for now. He will likely conduct covert interviews with candidates away from the team's headquarters at Valley Ranch. Parcells and Jones met on his private jet parked at a New Jersey airport.

Some possible candidates include former Cowboys assistant and 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, Southern California coach Pete Carroll and possibly Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith.

"I think Jerry is a smart guy and he had already formulated a list before this day," Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis said Monday. "I think that was wise of him to do it. Jerry is kind of thinking ahead and got his hands on a couple of other guys that possibly come in and fill Bill's shoes."

What appears likely is that Jones won't be doing any interviews in Mobile, Ala., site of the Senior Bowl practices, which began Monday.

Jones makes the trip to the Senior Bowl each year, but has scrapped those plans to begin his coaching search. He's prepared to seek out a coach he hopes will take the Cowboys where Parcells could not -- to the Super Bowl.

Some consider Phillips to be Jones' top choice. He's coached in the league for 30 years and runs the 3-4 defense that Parcells implemented. Phillips, a Texas native, has the good-ol'-boy personality that could be a perfect fit with Jones.

Turner, who failed in head coaching stops at Washington and Oakland, could become a top candidate. He is considered a guru at shaping young quarterbacks, just as he did with Troy Aikman, and Jones believes Tony Romo is the franchise's future at the position.

Rivera may be the league's most respected defensive coach, building an impressive system over the past three years with the Super Bowl-bound Bears.

"It's an outstanding place," Rivera said. "[Former Cowboys assistant] Wade Wilson is on this staff and has said it's a great place. Jerry is a good guy to work for."

Scratch Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher from the list of candidates. Fisher is still negotiating a long-term deal and Titans chief operating officer Steve Underwood reportedly will not grant the Cowboys permission to interview Fisher if they make a request.

It seems unlikely that Jones would again dip into the college ranks, at least not for a coach without NFL experience. But Carroll, who coached the Jets and Patriots and recently interviewed for the Dolphins position, could be the exception. Carroll replaced Parcells in New England in 1997 and coached for three years before getting fired. He has a 34-33 career record in the NFL.

Smith, a Big Sandy native, has one year left on his contract and is the lowest paid coach in the league.

JPM36 wrote:I hope they go with Phillips. He doesn't scare me at all.

Redskins Rule wrote:Them Getting Phillips would be great........but I would love it if they got Norv Turner!!!

redskindave wrote:Norv, Wade Phillips, Bob Stoops, I dont really care, As long as its not Bill Cower

JPM36 wrote:I hope they go with Phillips. He doesn't scare me at all.

REDEEMEDSKIN wrote:Could Jerrah try to pull a Snyder and bring back his "Glory Days (post-Landry)" coach, Jimmy Johnson?

I read somewhere that that's a possibility.

UK Skins Fan wrote:What about a dream team of Denny Green, Norv Turner and Wade Phillips.

Better still - Jerry Glanville, Wayne Fontes and Sam Wyche.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will interview Dolphins quarterbacks coach Jason Garrett for the offensive coordinator job. If Garrett is deemed suitable to handle the position (including calling plays and handling the staff), Jones will hire Wade Phillips as the new head coach, ESPN.com's Ed Werder reported. If Garrett needs help to run the offense, Jones will hire Norv Turner as the head coach. Jones views Garrett as a head coach in two or three years.


Garrett spent seven years as a backup quarterback with the Cowboys (1993-99), and Jones and he obviously know each other. There are a dozen or so names floating around in the Cowboys head coaching search, but Werder has apparently pared it down to two guys. We'll analyze the situation when some deals are actually signed.

cleg wrote: I hope it is not Lovie Smith.

Faced with growing rumors that coach Lovie Smith might try to make a move to join the Dallas Cowboys, Bears president Ted Phillips said on Wednesday that Smith will receive a contract extension after the Super Bowl.

One of the scenarios Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may be considering in the wake of coach Bill Parcells' resignation on Monday is a three-man coaching team that would include a seasoned NFL coach, Troy Aikman's former tutor and backup, and an up-and-coming defensive mind that Parcells was nurturing for a rise up the NFL ladder.

Jones could make former Redskins and Raiders coach Norv Turner the head coach, with 40-year-old Jason Garrett the offensive coordinator and Todd Bowles, 43, the defensive coordinator.