Hitler: Bloodthirsty Dictator, Die-hard Cowboys Fan
Cowboy Assistants with Prior Head Coaching Experience
One of the big news items this week is that the Cowboys hired Dave Campo to serve as secondary coach. I’ve always wondered: how exactly could Campo have played defensive back at Central Connecticut State when he stands at somewhere around 5′4″?
Anyway, Campo’s defenses in the 1990s were solid, thanks largely to the unit’s speed and the presence of Deion Sanders. He has coached some great defensive backs (Bennie Blades at Miami, Kevin Smith at Dallas), so this move may turn out to be a good one.
Campo is one of only two men who served as assistant coaches for the Cowboys both before and after serving as an NFL head coach. The other was Dick Nolan, who left the Cowboys in 1968 to coach the 49ers and then the Saints, only to return to Dallas in 1982. Nolan has the distinction of coaching under both Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson.
If the Cowboys also hire Dom Capers, he will become the eighth assistant in team history who had prior experience as a head coach.
Below are three lists: (1) assistant coaches who were head coaches prior to arriving in Dallas; (2) assistants who became head coaches after leaving Dallas; and (3) a complete list of assistant coaches in the history of the team.
Assistants Who Were Head Coaches Prior to Their Arrival in Dallas
Neill Armstrong (with Cowboys, 1982-89): Head Coach, Chicago Bears (1978-1981), 30-34 record.
Dave Campo (with Cowboys, 1989-2002, 2008-present): Head Coach, Dallas Cowboys (2000-2002), 15-33 record.
Bruce Coslet (with Cowboys, 2002): Head Coach, New York Jets (1990-1993); Head Coach, Cincinnati Bengals (1996-2000); 44-77 record.
Sid Gillman (with Cowboys, 1972): Head Coach, L.A. Rams (1955-1959); Head Coach, L.A. Chargers (AFL) (1960); Head Coach, San Diego Chargers (AFL) (1961-1970); Head Coach, Houston Oilers (1973-1974); 122-99-7 record.
Red Hickey (with Cowboys, 1964-65): Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers (1959-1963), 27-27-1 record.
Dick Nolan (with Cowboys, 1962-1967, 1982-1990): Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers (1968-1975); Head Coach, New Orleans Saints (1978-1980); 69-82-5 record.
Chris Palmer (with Cowboys, 1999-2000): Head Coach, Cleveland Browns (1999-2000), 5-27 record.
Assistants Who Became Head Coaches After Leaving Dallas
Raymond Berry (with Cowboys, 1968-69): Head Coach, New England Patriots (1984-1989), 48-39 record.
Dave Campo (with Cowboys, 1989-2002, 2008-present): Head Coach, Dallas Cowboys (2000-2002), 15-33 record.
Butch Davis (with Cowboys, 1989-1994): Head Coach, Cleveland Browns (2001-2004), 24-34 record.
Mike Ditka (with Cowboys, 1973-1981): Head Coach, Chicago Bears (1982-1992); Head Coach, New Orleans Saints (1997-1999); 121-95 record.
Sid Gillman (with Cowboys, 1972): Head Coach, L.A. Rams (1955-1959); Head Coach, L.A. Chargers (AFL) (1960); Head Coach, San Diego Chargers (AFL) (1961-1970); Head Coach, Houston Oilers (1973-1974); 122-99-7 record.
John Mackovic (with Cowboys, 1981-82): Head Coach, Kansas City Chiefs (1983-1986), 30-34 record.
Dick Nolan (with Cowboys, 1962-1967, 1982-1990): Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers (1968-1975); Head Coach, New Orleans Saints (1978-1980); 69-82-5 record.
Sean Payton (with Cowboys, 2003-2005): Head Coach, New Orleans Saints (2006-present)
Dan Reeves (with Cowboys, 1970-1972, 1974-1980): Head Coach, Denver Broncos (1981-1992); Head Coach, N.Y. Giants (1993-1997); Head Coach, Atlanta Falcons (1997-2003); 192-166-2 record.
Dave Shula (with Cowboys, 1989-1990): Head Coach, Cincinnati Bengals (1992-1996), 19-52 record.
Tony Sparano (with Cowboys, 2003-2007): Head Coach, Miami Dolphins (2008-present)
Norv Turner (with Cowboys, 1991-93): Head Coach, Washington Redskins (1994-2000); Head Coach, Oakland Raiders (2004-2005); Head Coach, San Diego Chargers (2007-present).
Dave Wannstedt (with Cowboys, 1989-92): Head Coach, Chicago Bears (1993-1998); Head Coach, Miami Dolphins (2000-2004); 82-87 record.
Dallas Cowboys Assistant Coaches
Hubbard Alexander: Receivers (1989-97)
Ermal Allen: Offensive Backfield (1962-69); Special Assistant (1970-79); Research and Development (1980-83)
Neill Armstrong: Research and Development (1982-89)
Joe Avezzano: Special Teams (1990-2000); Special Teams/Tight Ends (2001); Special Teams (2002)
Bill Bates: Special Teams/Defensive Assistant (1998-99); Defensive Backs (2000); Defensive Nickel Package/Assistant Special Teams (2001-02)
Jim Bates: Linebackers (1996-97); Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line (1998-99)
Raymond Berry: Offensive Ends (1968-69)
John Blake: Defensive Line (1993-95)
Craig Boiler: Defensive Tackles (1996-97)
Todd Bowles: Secondary (2005-07)
Joe Brodsky: Running Backs (1989-97)
Vincent Brown: Inside Linebackers (2006)
Dave Campo: Defensive Assistant (1989-90); Defensive Backs (1991-94); Defensive Coordinator (1995-99); Secondary (2008-present)
Maurice Carthon: Offensive Coordinator (2003-04)
Wes Chandler: Receivers (2000-02)
Bruce Coslet: Offensive Coordinator (2002)
Tom Dahms: Defensive Line (1960-62)
Butch Davis: Defensive Line (1989-92); Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers (1993); Defensive Coordinator (1994)
Bruce DeHaven: Special Teams (2003-2006)
Babe Dimancheff: Backfield (1960-61)
Mike Ditka: Receivers/Tight Ends (1973-74); Special Teams/Tight Ends (1975-76, 1980); Special Teams/Receivers (1977-79, 1981)
Brad Ecklund: Offensive Line (1960-61); Defensive Line (1962-63)
Jim Eddy: Defensive Assistant (1993); Linebackers (1994-95)
George Edwards: Linebackers (1998-01)
Jim Erkenbeck: Offensive Line (1987-88)
Robert Ford: Tight Ends (1991-97)
Bobby Franklin: Defensive Backfield (1968-71); Special Teams (1972)
Jason Garrett: Offensive Coordinator (2007-present)
John Garrett: Tight Ends (2007-present)
Buddy Geis: Quarterbacks (1998-99); Offensive Nickel Package (2000)
Gary Gibbs: Linebackers (2002-05)
Sid Gillman: Special Assistant (1972)
Todd Grantham: Defensive Line (2008-present)
Paul Hackett: Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Receivers (1986); Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (1987-88)
Todd Haley: Receivers (2004-2005); Receivers/Passing Game (2006)
Galen Hall: Running Backs (2002)
Tommy Hart: Defensive Ends (1996-97)
Red Hickey: Offensive Ends (1964-65)
Steve Hoffman: Kickers/Quality Control (1989-2004)
Hudson Houck: Offensive Line (1993-01, 2008-present)
Ed Hughes: Offensive Backfield (1973-74, 1976); Quarterbacks/Receivers (1975)
Jim Jeffcoat: Defensive Line Assistant (1998-99); Defensive Ends (2000-04)
Joe Juraszek: Strength and Conditioning (1997-present)
Freddie Kitchens: Tight Ends (2006)
Al Lavan: Running Backs (1980-88)
David Lee: Offensive Assistant/Quality Control (2003-04); Quarterbacks/Offensive Quality Control (2005); Offensive Quality Control (2006)
Alan Lowry: Special Teams (1982-86); Receivers (1987-88); Special Teams/Tight Ends (1989); Tight Ends (1990)
Anthony Lynn: Running Backs (2005-06)
Mike MacIntyre: Assistant Secondary (2003-04); Assistant Secondary/Defensive Quality Control (2005); Safeties (2006)
John Mackovic: Quarterbacks (1981-82)
John McNulty: Wide Receivers (2003)
Ron Meeks: Defensive Assistant (1991)
Les Miles: Tight Ends (1998-2000)
Jim Myers: Offensive Line (1962-72); Offensive Coordinator (1973-74); Offensive Coodinator/Offensive Line (1975-76); Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line (1977-86)
Dat Nguyen: Assistant Linebackers/Defensive Quality Control (2007)
Dick Nolan: Defensive Backfield (1962-67); Receivers (1982-85); Defensive Backs (1986-90)
Dwain Painter: Receivers (1998-99)
Chris Palmer: Quarterbacks (2006)
Paul Pasqualoni: Tight Ends (2005); Linebackers (2006-07)
Andre Patterson: Defensive Tackles (2000-02)
Sean Payton: Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks (2003-04); Assistant Head Coach/Passing Game Coordinator (2005)
Skip Peete: Running Backs (2007)
Clancy Pendergast: Defensive Assistant/Quality Control (1996-99); Defensive Nickel Package (2000); Defensive Backs (2001-02)
Wes Phillips: Offensive Assistant/Offensive Quality Control (2007)
Bruce Read: Special Teams (2007)
Dan Reeves: Offensive Backfield (1970-72, 1975); Special Teams (1974); Quarterbacks/Receivers (1976); Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Backs (1977-79); Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Receivers (1980)
Jack Reilly: Quarterbacks (1997); Offensive Coordinator (2000-01)
Ray Renfro: Passing Offense (1968-72)
Jerry Rhome: Quarterbacks (1989)
Tommie Robinson: Offensive Assistant (1998-99); Special Teams Assistant (2000)
Kacy Rodgers: Defensive Tackles (2003-04); Defensive Line (2005-07)
Alvin Roy: Strength and Conditioning (1973-75)
Greg Seamon: Tight Ends (2002)
Clarence Shelmon: Running Backs (1998-2001)
Ray Sherman: Wide Receivers (2007)
Jim Shofner: Quarterbacks (1983-85)
Dave Shula: Offensive Coordinator (1989); Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (1990)
Bob Slowik: Defensive Assistant (1992)
Glenn Smith: Offensive Assistant (2000-01)
Mike Solari: Special Teams (1987-88)
Tony Sparano: Tight Ends (2003-04); Running Game Coordinator/Offensive Line (2005); Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line/Running Game (2006); Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line (2007)
Gene Stallings: Defensive Backfield (1972-85)
Ernie Stautner: Defensive Line (1966-72); Defensive Coordinator (1973-74); Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line (1975-88)
Brian Stewart: Defensive Coordinator (2007)
Jerry Tubbs: Linebackers (1966-88)
Norv Turner: Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks (1991-93)
Frank Verducci: Offensive Line (2002)
Dave Wannstedt: Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers (1989-92)
Bob Ward: Strength and Conditioning (1976-89)
George Warhop: Offensive Line (2003-04)
Wade Wilson: Quarterbacks (2000-02, 2007)
Tony Wise: Offensive Line (1989-92)
Mike Woicik: Strength and Conditioning (1990-96)
Ernie Zampese: Offensive Coordinator (1994-97)
Mike Zimmer: Defensive Assistant (1994); Defensive Backs (1995-99); Defensive Coordinator (2000-2006)
Cowboys sign Stephen Bowen
The Cowboys locked up one of their ERFA’s, DT Stephen Bowen.
The Cowboys re-signed their first exclusive-rights free agent on Thursday, inking Stephen Bowen to a one-year deal.
Bowen was an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he has little to no negotiating power once the team extends an offer.
The Cowboys signed him to a one-year deal worth $445,000.
I like Bowen, I think he’s an effective backup who can actually make plays when he gets time in the game. His pass-rushing skills are getting better and he gives us nice depth on the font line.
Cowboys roster evaluation: FB
Dallas Cowboys fullback roster evaluation.
FB
Starter: Oliver Hoyte - I’m placing Hoyte in the starter’s role only because he was the starter at the end of the year. Personally, I don’t believe he will be the starter in 2008, that role will either go to Deon Anderson or a player currently not on the roster. Hoyte was a former ILB that was moved to the offensive side of the ball under the previous coaching regime and remained there for 2007. Hoyte’s skills as a FB are limited to blocking; he doesn’t present a threat as a ball-carrier or a receiver out of the backfield. Even Hoyte’s main strength, blocking, has flaws. He’s a very willing and physical blocker, and when he hits a defender with proper leverage he can deliver a devastating blow. But too often he fails to find the correct defender to block in order to open a hole and he can also take a bad angle in his blocking that limits the effectiveness of the hit. You have to credit Hoyte for switching positions and giving it everything he has but his limitations at the position creates problems for the Cowboys offense. I have no confidence that this experiment will last into 2008.
Deon Anderson – For a rookie, Anderson was doing a nice job before his season-ending injury. Coming out of college he was a stalwart on special teams and performed well in that role once he started gaining experience. As the season progressed, he showed more skills on the offensive side of the ball including catching passes out of the backfield. He’s a physical blocker even though he’s short in stature because he's built like a fire-hydrant. He has powerful legs which allow him to explode into blocks. When he took over the starting role due to Hoyte's injury he was progressing nicely in all phases of the position until his own injury cut his season short. I would expect him to challenge for the starter’s role in 2008 while continuing to contribute on special teams.
Ronnie Cruz – Recently signed by the Cowboys, he originally signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an UDFA in 2004. I have never seen him play so I can’t properly evaluate him.
The Cornerback Gambit, Part II
Because we’re about football here at the ‘BoysBlog and not taking up pitchforks and leading coach firing mobs, we’ve followed up yesterday’s Let-Flozell-go theory with some sound analysis on the top cornerbacks in this year’s market.
Our good friend K.C. Joyner has graciously answered two questions:
- I asked K.C. to rate the top three free agent cornerbacks, Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Marcus Trufant.
- I asked him for some names of sleeper second-tier CBs who personnel guys might know but casual fans might not.
Here are his answers. His response to question two will probably surprise you:
Asomugha has been the most consistent YPA-wise. Samuel’s YPA in his first two years was mediocre but has improved into the high-6, low-7 range the past two years.
On the down side, Samuel has a very bad history when facing top-level WRs (his metrics against Reggie Wayne are positively abysmal) and three of his picks this year came against backup QBs. I think the NE system is making Samuel look a lot better than he might look in say the Dallas system.
The free agent CB market this year is quite thin, so there aren’t any under-appreciated unknowns. One player who could be getting some play is the Cowboys’ Jacques Reeves. I ran some of his metrics this year and he did a lot better than generally thought. I would not be surprised to see him rack up some interest on the free agent market.
The plot thickens at Valley Ranch
Ah, the intrigue is back at Valley Ranch. Not that it ever truly went away but things just got kicked up a notch with the revelations in the latest article from Calvin Watkins. (BTW, kudos to Watkins for breaking this news).
We all know that the Cowboys were talking to defensive-guru Dom Capers about joining the staff in Dallas. The neat-and-tidy version had him coming in as the linebackers coach which was presumably the only spot left open. That never quite washed with me, Capers is a big name with a big-time reputation in NFL circles and it seemed unlikely that he would settle for being a mere position coach.
This is where the intrigue begins. Watkins recounts the sequence of events in his article.
Sources said Capers called Stewart once the Cowboys contacted him about a job.
Capers, who gave Stewart his first NFL job with the Houston Texans in 2002, asked the Cowboys' coordinator if Capers' presence on the staff would bother him.
A day later, sources said, Stewart told Capers he would be uncomfortable if the veteran coach joined the organization. Capers, according to sources, told Stewart he would pass on the opportunity to join the team.
When Capers informed the Cowboys of his decision, the club talked him into coming to Valley Ranch on Tuesday for an interview.
That’s a lot to digest. I guess I’ll start with Brian Stewart. I can’t really blame him for feeling uncomfortable with Capers being off staff if it was in a coordinator/consultant role instead of just the linebackers coach. One year in to the DC job and having a guy of Capers stature looking over your shoulder will make you uncomfortable. But, in the end, I want what’s best for the Cowboys and if you asked me who I would rather have running the defense, Stewart or Capers, well, that’s a no-brainer. Sorry Brian, but Dom Capers wins that argument hands-down.
Now you have to go further up the food-chain to speculate what’s happening there. Brian Stewart was Wade’s handpicked coordinator. So has Wade endorsed this deal to bring Capers in as a consultant/coordinator? Or is he just receiving marching orders from higher up? With the way the staff has been shaping up it’s beginning to look like a Garrett staff, not a Phillips staff. But Wade really doesn’t have a lot of leverage here, with Garrett in the wings and with the Cowboys disappointing exit from the playoffs, Wade is on unstable footing. He doesn’t have the clout to put his foot down and make a stand for Stewart and that’s assuming that he would want to. Does Wade feel that Capers would make this team better and afford it a better chance of winning big in 2008? If he does, then he would probably endorse the move because his own future as head coach is tied up in that scenario.
So that brings us to the big cheese, the guy who makes the rules. This maneuvering has Jerry Jones’ fingerprints all over it. From what I can see Jerry is putting together a staff that could just as easily function without Wade Phillips in the future. If you’re a fan of the Cowboys, this is a good thing for the long-term future of the franchise. But, the question is how this will affect the immediate future, meaning 2008. Is Wade Phillips comfortable with what’s going on around him? Will it influence the way he coaches this year? If things start going sour at any point during the season will there be a power struggle, a breaking of the team into factions?
For all these questions I have no real answer. But to me a few things are obvious, Jerry is calling the shots again in a way he hasn’t since the Tuna arrived on the scene in 2003. He’s preparing for an eventual future with Jason Garrett as head coach and is trying to surround him with quality coaching talent. That’s not to say that Jerry has forsaken 2008, all that all-star coaching talent could payoff in a big way next year. But it’s going to be a delicate balancing act out at Valley Ranch.
And where Brian Stewart fits into the equation if Dom Capers comes on board is anyone’s guess.
DCFanatic has a diary here and Impatient has a diary, here.
Busy, Busy, Busy
It seems that the Cowboys and I have something in common the last couple of weeks. We've both been pretty busy. Me, I've got a new gig taking up a lot of my time.
The Cowboys haven't been so lucky. They've seen assistant after assistant head out the door, mostly going down to Miami to reunite with Parcells. They've also made some interesting hires to replace them.
Can you believe Dave Campo is coming back? I think that was a great hire. Campo may not have been a great head coach -- though I think he was in one of those tough-to-succeed positions -- but he's always been a great defensive coach. Having him coach the secondary might be a very good thing.
And the rumor goes that Don Capers might be signing soon. That would be another good hire, though you have to wonder what the Cowboys will do with so many former head coaches working as assistants.
But the key is, you don't get to try out the head coaching ranks without being a very good position coach and/or coordinator. These guys should be solid replacements.
Cowboys roster evaluation: TE
Dallas Cowboys tight end roster evaluation.
TE
Starter: Jason Witten – Here’s the thing about Jason Witten, as good as he was right out of the box when we drafted him, he’s only gotten better as the years have progressed. Witten has a reached a level of play where he is now being called the best all-around TE in the league by some anlaysts. That’s high praise indeed for our star TE but not wholly unwarranted. There may be other TE’s in the league who are as good or perhaps even a little better as receivers but you’d be hard-pressed to find a TE who can catch like Witten and also block like him. That wasn’t always the case, Witten’s blocking early in his career was sometimes suspect, but it’s a skill he’s worked on and has now mastered. I’ve watched many times on game film where Witten has taken on a defensive end and won the battle.
The fact that Witten can do it all from the TE position is nice but it his ability to get open in the passing game, especially over the middle, that has made him such a valuable weapon for the Cowboys. His ability to draw coverage to the middle of the field is part of the reason T.O. has such gaudy numbers with the Cowboys. Witten has terrific hands, runs great routes and almost always falls forward when being tackled. I just can’t say enough about what a fantastic football player Jason Witten truly is. And if that’s not enough for you, just go here to understand the true essence of Jason Witten.
Anthony Fasano – Fasano labors under the expectations of being a 2nd-round pick by Bill Parcells and comparisons to guys like Mark Bavaro who served the Tuna so well. Fasano does not possess those kinds of skills. Fasano is what I like to term a serviceable player who provides nice depth at a position. He can block well enough although I still think there is room for improvement in that part of his game. In the passing game he’s had some moments but not the overall consistency that would make you think he’s anything more than a backup. Of course, his drop in the Giants’ playoff game will be a lasting memory for many fans. Still, Fasano is a good player to have in order for Witten to get the occasional rest in a game.
Tony Curtis – All the guy does is catch touchdowns. That’s being overly-complimentary of the player, but he has produced a few good moments for the Cowboys and serves them well on special teams. He’s not a guy you think about a lot but he has performed well in the role the Cowboys ask of him.
Rodney Hannah – Hannah has the look of a TE, especially a pass-catching TE. He’s athletic, tall and showed flashes of skill at training camp before the past season. Right now, he’s all potential but if he can corral his physical gifts into an understanding of the position and a willingness to get physical, he might end up being more than a project. Only time will tell with this kid.
The Cornerback Gambit
I was talking to a source the other day about the new assistants and he made an intriguing comment about new/old offensive line coach Hudson Houck. “You know,” he said, “Houck and Flozell [Adams] never really got along.”
That comment got me thinking, thinking that I’m going to conduct out loud here. Quality OL coaches can get players to perform beyond themselves. They can get young players ready in a hurry. Jim Myers, Tom Landry’s OL guy, had to play a Thanksgiving Day game with five guards in his lineup, because injuries had wiped out his OTs and C. His makeshift line won.
This year the Colts’ Howard Mudd took rookie Tony Ugoh and had him playing at a high level from day one protecting Peyton Manning’s blind side. Houck was able to incorporate rookie Larry Allen into his All-Star line in 1994.
If — and I’m stretching the if here — Houck views tape and works with youngsters Pat McQuistan and Doug Free and feels one of them can handle the left tackle spot, might you use Flozell’s money on another need position? Might you say, pursue one of the top cornerbacks in this year’s veteran crop?
How tight might the Cowboys coverage be if a Marcus Truffant or a Nnamdi Asomugha were playing opposite Terence Newman? I know, you have to pay Newman his money first and then decide if how much you want to bid on Ken Hamlin and Dallas already has decent money tied up in Anthony Henry and it makes little sense to put another huge deal in one area of the team…
That said, the comment made me wonder if Dallas is considering using Flozell’s money on another position and wondering what position that might be? What do you think?
Classic Cowboys Fact: The Cowboys Didn’t Always Wear White at Home
Here is some obscure trivia (also posted on the Classic Cowboys forum):
Contrary to what I believed, the Cowboys did not always wear white for their home games.
Below is a shot from the very first game in franchise history, a 35-28 loss to Pittsburgh at the Cotton Bowl. #87 is DE Nate Borden and #72 [on the ground] is DT Bill Herchman. Pittsburgh QB is, of course, Bobby Layne.
This is admittedly before my time, and I have seen a number of other pictures of the Cowboys wearing blue. If anyone happens to know when Dallas started wearing whites for every game, please leave a comment.