Tuesday, February 17, 1998

Cowboys coach Gailey a winner on and off the field

By MIKE BALDWIN

The Daily Oklahoman

When it became apparent Chan Gailey was the leading candidate to coach the Dallas Cowboys, most fans asked, "Chan who?"

Some suggest Gailey will be nothing more than a glorified offensive coordinator under Jerry Jones. But an in-depth look at Chandler (call me Chan) Gailey reveals he's a deeply religious man, an innovative tactician, and he's been on winning teams throughout his career.

But to get to know the real Chan Gailey, let's put football aside for a moment. More than X's and O's, know this about Barry Switzer's sucessor:

Gailey has coached in four Super Bowls, but his favorite football memories are watch ing his sons play.

If he were president for one day, he'd al low prayer in school.

Jesus Christ is the person in history he would most like to meet.

When the World League was put on hiatus in 1991, he turned down more attractive offers in order to stay in Birmingham to coach Samford University so his oldest son could graduate from high school.

Tears formed in his eyes at last week's news conference when he declared his wife was the ideal football spouse, the person who supported him "when things were sorry."

A third-string quarterback at the Univer sity of Florida, Gailey volunteered his senior year to be the long snapper and play on special teams.

He was reared in Americus, Ga., the same city that produced Dan Reeves, who coached Gailey in Little League and gave him his first NFL job.

We also learned Gailey can handle intense media coverage. His responses to sticky questions were insightful. Asked if anything less than winning a Super Bowl is acceptable - a question that haunted Jones during the 1995 season - Gailey was discriminating.

"The goal is to win the Super Bowl," Gailey said. "You accept what happens, and you try to learn from it. My goal every year is to win the Super Bowl."

What about your coaching style? Since you've coached under Bill Cowher and Reeves, surely you're a disciplinarian?

"If I say yes, then you're going to say I run around with a whip. I don't run around with a whip," Gailey said. "But if I say no, then every body's going to think I won't do anything to keep guys in line and headed where we want to go. I'm somewhere in between."

No one used the word puppet, but it was suggested Gailey will have little power under Jones. Gailey, 46, realizes Jones is in charge, but rest assured it will be Gailey, not Jones, who'll design game plans and call plays.

Gailey was an ideal choice for Dallas because Jones is a hands-on owner and Gailey can work under those strict guidelines. That's a must at Valley Ranch. But if you stop there, you disrespect Gailey's resume. He's been successful everywhere he's coached, he's hungry, and his offensive ingenuity is desperately need ed.

Few, if any, NFL coaches have been a defensive coordinator (Air Force), a special teams coach (Broncos) and offensive coordinator (Denver, Pittsburgh). One quality Jones repeatedly referred to was Gailey's ability to adjust. His strong suit was the passing game, but he quickly adapted to run-oriented Pittsburgh.

The Cowboys still have Pro Bowl talent, which is a must for any team with Super Bowl aspirations. Despite theories that this is an aging, over-the-hill team, Dallas should reach the playoffs in 1998. Super Bowl? That may be asking too much.

As Switzer pointed out, Pro Bowl stars have retired and other players aren't nearly as productive. The organization must add quality players through the draft and free agency to have any chance of winning another Lombardi Trophy during Troy Aikman's career.

It would be unfair to expect Gailey to approach previous standards. This isn't the same team it was four years ago when Switzer was hired. Whether the Cowboys are 12-4 and a Super Bowl contender or an 8-8 team in decline is uncertain.

What is certain is that Gailey was an excellent selection.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)