Monday, January 26, 1998

Search for new coach should get serious now

By CANDY REAGAN / Abilene Reporter-News

Now that the Super Bowl is over, the fun really starts.

Expect the search for a new Dallas Cowboys' coach to heat up in the next two weeks -- if a decision isn't announced even sooner.

So far, Jerry Jones' search to replace Barry Switzer has been hampered by the fact that three of the top candidates were basically unapproachable.

George Seifert, the former 49'ers coach, remains under contract to San Francisco until February. So legally, Jones can do nothing, even though the two have talked.

Meanwhile, Sherman Lewis and Gary Kubiak, two other top candidates, were busy preparing for the Super Bowl. Lewis was the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers in yesterday's matchup. Kubiak holds the same position with the Broncos.

So Jones couldn't talk to them until the game was over.

Well now it is. And the longer Jones waits to name a coach, the greater the speculation, and the greater the chance that something legitimate will leak out before he's ready.

Jones doesn't want that. So I expect he'll make a move as soon as he can -- maybe this week.

So who do I think it will be?

Well, frankly I'd be happy with any of the three, although I'd prefer Seifert or Lewis. All are good coaches, and I imagine all meet most of the qualifications on Jerry Jones' list.

Lewis certainly has a good resume, and his offensive skills would come in handy in Dallas where the offense has been struggling.

But Seifert meets several qualifications on my list that aren't likely on Jones' list.

First, in order to be successful, a new Cowboys coach must be a diplomat with a strong hand. A successful coach will figure out how to stroke Jerry Jones' ego, how to make him feel a part of what's happening, but in actuality keep him far away from the on-field decisions.

A good coach will be in total control of what's happening on the field, but will be willing to let Jones think he's the one running the show. Jimmy Johnson had the control, but his own ego wouldn't let him stroke Jerry's indefinitely. So they eventually clashed.

Switzer, on the other hand, handled Jerry much better, but he didn't have any control over what was happening on the field, or over the players.

Both are gone now. A new coach needs to do both, and I think Seifert just might have the diplomatic skills to do that.

Plus, a new coach must understand the pressure surrounding a team that's been to three Super Bowls this decade. Dallas fans expect wins, and they want big wins.

Who would understand that better than Seifert. San Francisco fans also are used to winning, and they expect the same. Seifert knows that pressure.

A new coach must understand that, other than the unloved Switzer, Cowboys fans have only known two other coaches -- Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson. Seifert knows what it's like to live in the shadow of a great coach. He followed Bill Walsh. And he had to handle having Walsh as a consultant.

But he handled it diplomatically.

Seifert understands the problems of motivating a group of guys who have already won several Super Bowls. He understands the problems of dealing with high-profile players with big egos.

The only criticism of Seifert is that, like Switzer, he was successful only because he took over a Super Bowl quality team. Well, that's what he'd be doing in Dallas too, and if he could do it as well as he did in San Francisco, we'd all be happy.

So will he take the job?

Well, he sounds like he would. But then again, that might just be the diplomat talking.

Candy Reagan, a local free-lance writer and avid sports fan, writes a weekly sports column commenting on sports happenings. You may contact her by e-mail at reagan@camalott.com.