Tuesday, January 27, 1998

Jerry Jones closes in on new coach

By Josie Karp

Knight Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

SAN DIEGO - Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was so busy talking with head-coaching candidates here on Monday that he interviewed one in his hotel suite while another waited in the lobby bar.

Jones said he's close to announcing a successor to Barry Switzer after meeting with former San Francisco coach George Seifert, former UCLA coach Terry Donahue and Green Bay offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis.

"I haven't made anybody an offer," Jones said Monday night. "We recognize in order to make decisions regarding our staff it's important to be as timely as we can."

Asked if he knows who he wants to make an offer to, Jones said, "Not necessarily."

Jones, who was scheduled to return to Dallas late Monday night, said he will continue talks on Tuesday in person or on the telephone with his candidates. He said he has contacted all the candidates he is interested in, an indication he has no plans to seek permission to talk to Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak about the head-coaching position.

Jones started his work day at 4 a.m. local time. He met with Lewis at 7:30 a.m. for an interview over breakfast. He followed that with another face-to-face meeting with Seifert, whom he interviewed last week, then had a late lunch with Donahue, the first candidate he interviewed a week ago.

"It was a very good day for the Dallas Cowboys," Jones said of his progress in finding a coach.

If time spent with the candidate and spousal approval count, Donahue is in good position to become the next Cowboys coach.

Jones spent about two days interviewing Donahue last week in Dallas, and Monday he and his wife, Gene, dined with Donahue and his wife, Andrea, at a tony harborside restaurant, Top of the Market. The meeting coincided with the Jones' 35th wedding anniversary.

The interviewing process was so hectic that the sessions overlapped. Early Monday afternoon at Hotel Del Coronado, Jerry Jones met with Seifert in his hotel suite while team vice president Stephen Jones entertained Donahue and his wife in the lobby bar.

Jerry Jones walked Seifert to a waiting limousine and joined the Donahue party in the lobby before departing for a three-hour lunch meeting.

"He brings a lot to the table," Jerry Jones said of Donahue. "It's really neat to see Terry's enthusiasm not only for the NFL but for the Dallas Cowboys."

At the conclusion of lunch, Donahue said that Jones had not made him an offer to be head coach but added that he felt good about his chances.

"I certainly have a much greater understanding for the organization and where the Cowboys are and where they want to get to," Donahue said. "It was a very enjoyable and educational working lunch."

Donahue said he would not have a problem taking over as head coach with some assistants in place. Most of the Cowboys assistants have contracts that expire Sunday, but some assistants' contracts have been extended, though Jones has not said which ones.

"Jerry Jones has some very competent and capable coaches on his staff," Donahue said. "I think there's real merit in having people who have been there before retained. They can keep you from making mistakes. They can show you some areas where there are possible pitfalls. The guys that Jerry Jones is going to keep are going to be very good people.

"Whenever you're talking about a job, you line up some potential candidates and you evaluate people. I think about different people that I would want on the staff."

One of them is not Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel.

Donahue said it was "happenstance" that brought both coaches together at Dallas/Fort Worth airport a week ago. Donahue said that if he gets the Cowboys head coaching job, Neuheisel will not be a candidate for the Cowboys offensive coordinator position.

"Rick's got a real good job," Donahue said. "I don't think that Rick is a candidate to be an offensive coordinator in professional football because he doesn't want to be. I don't think he would give up the job he has in Colorado to be an offensive coordinator."

At the news conference to announce Switzer's resignation Jan. 9, Jones said he was looking for an offensive-minded coach. Donahue said he would have an offensive coordinator in charge of calling plays.

"I would be a very involved, hands-on type of coach," Donahue said, "but at the same time I would have an offensive coordinator that would call most of the plays."

Donahue, who compiled a 171-54-8 record at UCLA, said he turned down two opportunities to coach at the professional level during his 20-year career there. He said the timing is right to consider the NFL and the Cowboys.

"It's excited me for quite some time," said Donahue, who has worked the past two years as a CBS college football analyst.

Coaching the Cowboys "is the single highest-profile coaching job in sports. There are a lot of attractive features about the Dallas Cowboys, and you would be flattered to be considered for this position."

He added that he would be overjoyed to coach quarterback Troy Aikman again. Donahue coached Aikman at UCLA.

"Troy Aikman is one of the most competitive, charismatic athletes I have ever had the privilege of working with," Donahue said.

Donahue and his wife packed their black Jeep Grand Cherokee and headed back to their home in Newport Beach, Calif., after meeting with Jones.

Seifert, who met Thursday with Jones, arrived at Hotel Del Coronado shortly before 11 a.m. and departed about 1:30 p.m. Seifert said he was excited about the Cowboys job.

"It's something I'm obviously very interested in and thinking about," Seifert said.

Seifert said he hopes to coach in the NFL next season, with the Cowboys or another team.

"It's something I'm looking forward to doing," Seifert said. "And, hopefully, it takes place this year."

Because Lewis was coaching for a Super Bowl contender until after 5 p.m. Central time Sunday, the Cowboys could not ask for permission to speak to him until the game ended. By 1 a.m. Monday, the Cowboys had permission and made their first contact with Lewis by telephone.

Jones' first personal meeting with Lewis was early Monday morning, hours after the Packers' stunning loss to the Denver Broncos. Jones said he told Lewis he will call him on Tuesday.

"It was a good meeting. We just tried to get to know each other," Lewis said before flying back to Green Bay with the Packers on Monday. "I think I made an impression. I'm not sure whether it was good or bad. It's up to Jerry."

(Staff writer Clarence E. Hill Jr. contributed to this report.

(c) 1998, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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