Saturday, January 10, 1998

George Seifert continues to head list of possible Barry Switzer successors

By Bart Hubbuch / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS Ñ Barry Switzer's long-expected departure as coach of the Dallas Cowboys on Friday did little to clear up the conjecture that has swirled for months about his successor.

Speculation continues to center on former San Francisco 49ers' coach George Seifert, as well as University of Florida coach Steve Spurrier, Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator Jon Gruden, former UCLA coach Terry Donahue and former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz.

Seifert's agent, Stephen Kay, refused to comment Friday about his client and the Cowboys, saying: "I can't say or confirm anything at this point."

Seifert, who also has been linked to a possible vacancy with the Seattle Seahawks, did not return several telephone messages Friday. But he was highly complimentary of the Cowboys in several interviews during the season and did not rule out possibly coming to Dallas.

Seifert, who turns 58 on Jan. 22, resigned after the 1996 season with the highest-winning percentage in NFL history and two Super Bowls wins. He is under contract until Feb. 1 for more than $1 million, but 49ers' president Carmen Policy said Friday his permission won't be required to speak with Seifert.

Seifert begins a two-year consultant's contract with the 49ers on Feb. 2. He already has been publicly endorsed this week by Cowboys' fullback Daryl Johnston for his disciplined coaching style.

Speaking at an afternoon news conference, owner Jerry Jones said he might not hire a head coach until February and ruled out only one potential replacement: himself.

"That's a fair question, and the answer is no," Jones said, referring to his frequent comments about someday coaching the Cowboys.

Jones said he has a plan for hiring a coach, but refused to comment on who is on his list. He would not say if he has contacted anyone or asked permission from other NFL teams to speak with candidates.

"Unless it comes from me, it really is nothing more than speculation," Jones said. "I will never divulge my process and how we arrive by this coach."

Others mentioned include Chicago Bears' coach Dave Wannstedt, University of Miami coach Butch Davis, Minnesota Vikings' coach Dennis Green, University of Colorado coach Rick Neuheisel, LSU coach Gerry DiNardo, Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill and Cowboys' assistants Dave Campo and Joe Avezzano.

Gary Kubiak, the Denver Broncos' 36-year-old offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and a former standout at Texas A&M, also emerged as a possible candidate after Jones announced Switzer's resignation Friday.

Meanwhile, former Cowboys' offensive coordinator Norv Turner, now coach of the Washington Redskins, said Friday he will not be a candidate to return to Dallas.

Turner has four years left on his contract at about $1 million per season, and permission would be required from Washington. Redskins' officials said Jones has not asked to speak with Turner.

"It's not an issue," Turner said Friday. "I've made a commitment to the Redskins."

Spurrier, who has five years remaining on a contract with Florida that pays him $2 million a year, also appeared to remove himself from consideration Friday.

"Contrary to whatever rumors have surfaced, I am not a candidate for any coaching job and certainly plan and expect to coach at Florida for many more years," Spurrier said Friday.

The Cowboys could be waiting on Kubiak, a Texas native and former NFL backup quarterback who was an offensive assistant with the 49ers in their 1994 Super Bowl season, and is well-liked by Denver's John Elway.

Teams cannot speak with Kubiak until the end of the Broncos' season, but members of the Dallas front office reportedly have made recent inquiries about him.

"The Cowboys' job is the furthest thing from my mind at this point, with all that's going on here," said Kubiak, whose team plays Pittsburgh on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. "Let's play this game first. We'll talk next week."

The Cowboys will have competition if they are interested in Philadelphia's Gruden, the 34-year-old prospect who produced the NFL's fifth-ranked offense last season despite a poor offensive line and season-long uncertainty at quarterback.

The Eagles this week gave the Oakland Raiders permission to speak with Gruden about their coaching vacancy, a move that was necessary because Philadelphia has designated him "supervisory personnel."

Eagles' spokesman Ron Howard said Friday he is unaware of any request by the Cowboys to speak with Gruden, who runs the "West Coast" offense that Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman says he favors.

Holtz, who stepped down as coach at Notre Dame after the 1996 season, would not comment when asked if he had been approached by Jones.

Holtz, a longtime friend of Jones', has expressed an interest in the NFL after a brief stint with the New York Jets in 1976 and is being pushed for the job by Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles, a Jones confidant.

"Don't ask the monkey, ask the organ grinder," Holtz said from his Orlando, Fla., home when asked if Jones had contacted him. "I'll let Jerry get into that."

Wannstedt, the Cowboys' offensive coordinator from 1989 to 1992 under former coach Jimmy Johnson, did not return telephone messages Friday. He is under contract for three more years at a total of $3.5 million.

Miami officials said Davis, who succeeded Wannstedt as Dallas' defensive coordinator before leaving for Miami three years later, was recruiting in Iowa on Friday and would not be available for comment.

As for the Vikings' Green, he is under contract through next season but might not return to Minnesota for the final year of his deal because of a running dispute with the team's 10-member ownership. He refused comment last week when asked about the Cowboys.

Neuheisel, a former assistant at UCLA when Aikman was the quarterback there in 1987-88, said Friday that he has not been contacted by Jones and doesn't expect to be.

"My name is thrown around because of my relationship with Troy, but I plan on coaching right here at Colorado," said Neuheisel, who is on a year-to-year contract because of a Colorado law on state employees.

Campo and Avezzano, who have been Cowboys assistants since 1989 and '90 respectively, also are expected to be considered if Jones can't land the top names on his list.

"I don't put any images out there that several (prospective coaches) couldn't get into," Jones said.

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("Dallas Morning News" staff writer Holly Cain contributed to this report.)

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(c) 1998, The Dallas Morning News.

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