Saturday, January 10, 1998

Dave Wannstedt's name on Cowboys' candidates' list, too

By Melissa Isaacson / Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO -- They like him in Dallas.

In fact, Dave Wannstedt's name has surfaced as many times regarding the head coaching job of the Dallas Cowboys as he has been mentioned as possibly being canned as coach of the Bears.

His former players in Dallas, where he was defensive coordinator for the former Super Bowl champions, still speak fondly of him. And though Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wouldn't mention any official candidates for the position vacated Friday with the resignation of Barry Switzer, or a time frame for replacing him, speculation continues to swirl involving the availability of Wannstedt.

Wannstedt is under contract for three more seasons with the Bears at $1 million in 1998, $1.2 million in '99 and $1.3 million in 2000. If the Bears were to permit Wannstedt to accept a new job, a clause in his contract would require the Bears only to pay the difference in the two salaries.

Wannstedt's name is thrown into a full hopper that also includes Lou Holtz, former UCLA coach Terry Donahue, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Jon Gruden, Miami (Fla.) coach Butch Davis, the Redskins' Norv Turner, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dave Campo, former 49ers coach George Seifert, Colorado's Rick Neuheisel and Louisiana State's Gerry DiNardo.

Jones said Friday the person who will succeed Switzer, Jimmy Johnson and Tom Landry as the only head coaches in Cowboys history will be someone "who can work within a system that works. The philosophy we have and how we approach football is why we've had three Super Bowl wins (in Jones' tenure as owner)."

But after a 6-10 season that kept the Cowboys out of postseason play for the first time in seven years, Jones continued to promise increased involvement with the coaching staff next season. He already has talked about plans for a new 3-4 defense.

Still, Dallas sources say Jones wants to keep intact his defensive staff, which managed the second-ranked defense in the NFL, and is looking for an offensive mind for his next head coach.

At the same time, Jones has shown a penchant for hiring people he knows and likes personally, and Wannstedt certainly fits those criteria. Wannstedt also has the support of several of his former players, including linebacker Vinson Smith, who played for him in Dallas and Chicago until this season.

"Players never stopped playing hard, and they all respected him," Smith said recently.

If Jones is truly interested in Wannstedt, Bears President Michael McCaskey would have to grant permission for talks to begin. More realistic would be a preliminary meeting with McCaskey, perhaps during Super Bowl week in San Diego, where both will be in two weeks.

Neither Wannstedt nor McCaskey would return calls Friday.

Saying Switzer would make a clean break from the organization, Jones will have to pay him for the remaining two years of his contract, which amounts to $2 million, the same total he paid Jimmy Johnson when the current Dolphins coach left in March 1994. Jones didn't say for sure what would happen to Switzer's assistants, several of whom, including Campo, worked with Wannstedt.

Hastening the departure of Switzer after four years was his August arrest for carrying a loaded pistol in his luggage at the Dallas airport. Jones fined Switzer $75,000, and Switzer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, which carried with it a fine of $3,500 and 80 hours of community service.

Switzer, who had said he would retire before allowing himself to be fired, didn't attend the Cowboys press conference. "At this time, I believe a fresh start at this position will give the Cowboys their greatest opportunity to return to the top," he said in a statement.

Jones called the decision "a very difficult and emotional one for everyone who was involved.

"He had the toughness to walk into a situation that was as great a challenge as any football coach has ever faced in the NFL. Barry Switzer was the right man for the right time."

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(c) 1998, Chicago Tribune.

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