Tuesday, February 24, 1998

Chan Gailey keeps focus where it belongs - on football

By Randy Galloway

The Dallas Morning News

(KRT)

DALLAS -- Take it for what it's worth, but ... Last week in Wichita Falls, Jerry Jones pulled a slick one. (Attention, all citizens of Wichita Falls, you've got to watch this man closely.)

At the gala media conference to announce the coming of the Cowboys for training camp, Midwestern State University officials had names attached to each chair on the podium.

As the dignitaries filed in, it went basically unnoticed when Jones reached down and switched name tags on two chairs. But, no, it's not what you might be thinking.

Jerry's switch left him with an outside chair, while Chan Gailey ended up in the seat of honor, which was in mini-cam sight lines.

Jones taking a "back seat" to his head coach is not business as usual around here. It's also far too early to say it will become business as usual. But it was an unusual scene, and also a nice touch by Jerry, who obviously thought he went undetected. Gailey himself was unaware.

Wild first week

Reality is always just around the next corner, but Gailey sailed though a first week as the fourth head coach in Cowboys history. Be it Jones' courtesy in Wichita Falls, to the positive initial response from fans and media, Gailey made the right kind of impact.

But, basically, he has almost been too busy to notice.

"It's like a whirlwind," Gailey said Monday, opening his second full week on the job at Valley Ranch. "But I think we are slowing getting it under control."

When asked about his biggest surprise and disappointment thus far, the answer was the same on both counts.

"The most shocking thing has been the amount of money currently being thrown ir,3l,0,13l,7p around on free agents all over the league," he replied. "I had a list ready of guys I wanted to get in here and talk with, guys I thought we might have a chance on. But I had to tear up that list. With our (salary) cap situation here, we've had to shift gears."

Later Monday, the Cowboys did announce their first free-agent signing - guard Everett McIver. Last season, McIver played on the Miami offensive line, one of the worst in the NFL.

"We think he's got the potential," said Gailey.

The Cowboys, of course, entered free agency seeking a bit more than "potential" in the offensive line. But that was before teams with bucks to spend started spending.

Slow-going for Gailey also is evident in his search to fill the five remaining assistant coaching vacancies. Since he was a late hire as a head coach, the timing was not good. Gailey will be making these hires, as opposed to Jones, but he said, "They won't be (ital) my (end ital) hires as much as they will be (ital) our (end ital) hires.

"These will be good coaches coming in here, but some I knew previously, and some I didn't know. At this point, it was important for me to get the best people available and not worry about them being my guys. Some coaches that I knew, and that I might have wanted, were already under contract."

Help wanted

Thus far, most of Gailey's time has been devoted to the search for assistant coaches.

"Second, it's been free agency," he said, "and then when there's been time, we are talking offense. Offense, of course, is a top priority, but we don't get on the field with the players until April, and by then, everything will be in place."

Asked if he had personally monitored media reaction to his hiring last week, Gailey said, "Yes, from the standpoint that I need to know what our players are reading and hearing. If it had been negative, then it's something I would have had to deal with. But it's been very positive. People have simply been great to me, and I'm very appreciative. Then again, I fully realize we haven't played a game yet."

But as Gailey's salary is widely reported as $500,000 a season, it is being accurately pointed out by the media he is the NFL's lowest-paid head coach. This feeds the negative perception of Jones actually wanting to be the head coach.

"Sure, it bothers me some," said Gailey, meaning the worst-paid references. "Everyone has pride. But if I do a good job, the money part will come. And I signed the contract, so I'm not worried about the money, nor should anyone else be."

Plus, after the Wichita Falls name-tag switch, it also can be said Jones paid his previous head coach $1 million a season but certainly never gave up center stage to him.

(c) 1998, The Dallas Morning News.

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