Tuesday, January 27, 1998

Jones interviews Green Bay's Lewis

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Sherm Lewis finally got what he wanted - an interview with an NFL owner.

Lewis, who failed to receive even a courtesy phone call for any of the slew of head coaching positions that opened last winter, met with Dallas owner Jerry Jones for two hours Monday to discuss the Cowboys' coaching vacancy.

"It was just basically to get to know each other," Lewis said as he prepared to leave for the airport and the Packers' long flight home Monday following their 31-24 loss to Denver in the Super Bowl.

Lewis, 55, said he doesn't know when or if he'll meet again with Jones, who has been looking for a head coach since Barry Switzer resigned Jan. 9.

"That's up to Jerry," Lewis said. "It's in his court."

Lewis said he was impressed with Jones and he thinks he could work with him. Jones is also the general manager and figures in practically every team decision.

"There's no question that he likes to be involved because he knows the game, studies it," Lewis said. "He wants to be involved, but that's not a bad thing for an owner."

Lewis said he felt good about his meeting.

"We had a good dialogue, a good exchange and I think the purpose of it was for him to get a feel for me and for me to get a feel for him, and I think we accomplished that," he said.

Jones has also interviewed former San Francisco coach George Seifert and former UCLA coach Terry Donahue. He's expected to ask for permission to speak with Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Monday no teams have asked for permission to speak with Kubiak.

Lewis has been to five Super Bowls as an assistant, three with San Francisco and two with Green Bay.

During the past 15 seasons, his teams have compiled a 172-69-1 record, a winning percentage of .715. He knows the complex West Coast offense as well as anybody. He's coached Jerry Rice, Joe Montana and Brett Favre.

"I think I've served a hell of an apprenticeship," said Lewis, who was the focus of a New York Times story last week that said a small group of black assistant coaches has privately talked about the possibility of filing a class-action discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.

He was not interviewed for any of the 11 coaching vacancies after the 1996 season. None of the jobs went to blacks. Three jobs have been filled since the end of the 1997 season - Buffalo (Wade Phillips), Indianapolis (Jim Mora) and Oakland (Jon Gruden).

There are three black head coaches in the NFL - Tony Dungy at Tampa Bay, Ray Rhodes at Philadelphia and Dennis Green at Minnesota.

Last week, Lewis said he didn't know why he hasn't been seriously considered for an NFL job despite his glowing resume, "but I'd like to think it's not a racial issue."

Defensive end Reggie White wasn't so sure.

"If Sherm Lewis were white, he'd be a head coach by now," White said.