Friday, January 23, 1998

Jones meets with Seifert, to meet again

By KEN PETERS / AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Dallas owner Jerry Jones met with former San Francisco 49ers coach George Seifert for several hours Thursday to discuss the Cowboys' head coaching vacancy.

"We will meet again within the next two or three days, informally," Jones said."

Also on Jones' list is Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis, but NFL rules bar interviews with assistant coaches on Super Bowl teams until after the game.

Jones spoke after attending a press conference announcing Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman as the NFL man of the year. The Cowboys' owner said he and Seifert have known each other since working on the league's competition committee.

"I feel comfortable that we could work together. ... I've got to say we would be very compatible. Going forward could be an exciting challenge for both of us," Jones said.

"You're going to find us selecting (the best) coach. If he happens to have been the coach for the 49ers, so be it."

Jones' "wish list" for a coach nearly matches Seifert's resume. Still, he denied that he has made up his mind.

"If I had, I wouldn't be talking to Sherman on Sunday," Jones said.

Seifert is the first candidate known to have interviewed for the position, which came open when Barry Switzer resigned Jan. 9. The Cowboys are coming off a 6-10 season that was their worst since going 1-15 in 1989.

Jones reportedly has a short list of three to six candidates. He would not say specifically how many people he was going to interview, nor would he reveal a timetable.

Jones said he was planning to interview Lewis "because he's competing in the Super Bowl, and because of the way they beat us."

The Packers drubbed the Cowboys 45-17 in November, beginning a winning streak that has led them to their second straight Super Bowl. Dallas missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 1990.

Lewis has been the Packers' offensive coordinator since the 1993 season. He was receivers coach the previous season, and spent nine years before that as a position coach in San Francisco.

Another apparent candidate for the job is former UCLA coach Terry Donahue. Although Jones hasn't confirmed meeting with Donahue, the ex-coach's agent, Bob Rosen, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the pair met.

Other reported candidates include Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak and former Cowboys defensive coordinator Butch Davis, the head coach at the University of Miami.

Jones also is believed to be interested in hiring Minnesota offensive coordinator Brian Billick for the same job in Dallas.