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Long Before Parcells, Gibbs Asked to Coach Cowboys
Five years before he considered hiring Bill Parcells, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones tried luring out of retirement another Super Bowl-winning coach with NFC East ties: Joe Gibbs.
Well, sort of.
In early 1998, Jones was looking for someone to replace Barry Switzer. Jones knew Gibbs since the early 1970s, when Gibbs was an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas, so he felt comfortable calling for advice.
The way Gibbs recalled it Thursday, advice was pretty much the only thing discussed.
Was there a job offer?
"Somewhere in there, he kind of joked about it," Gibbs said, laughing harder the more he talked about it. "I don't think there's any way that he thought or I thought ...
"I can't get in blue. I puke when I see blue."
Jones said earlier this week that during the conversation he asked Gibbs if he was interested in the job. He recalled Gibbs not only said no, but he wouldn't even consider it.
But Jones never mentioned the word "puke."
"He very quickly went to his interest and enthusiasm about being in NASCAR," Jones said.
The main reason Jones called Gibbs was "to go to school and learn what to look for" in hiring a new coach. After all, Jones' previous two hires -- Jimmy Johnson and Switzer -- were people he'd known since the early 1960s, when he was playing for the Razorbacks.
Gibbs talked and Jones listened for quite a while. And Jones wound up following the advice exactly.
"I hired an offensive coordinator and made him head coach," Jones said, failing to add that things never really panned out with Chan Gailey.
When he replaced Gailey, Jones again went the coordinator route, promoting in-house candidate Dave Campo, who had been running the defense. Three years later, Jones was ready to make another drastic change and wound up hiring Parcells.
Parcells came out of retirement to turn the Cowboys from 5-11 to 10-6 in his first season. At the same time, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder saw Gibbs as what his team needed. His timing was perfect as Gibbs was ready to return to the only organization he could see himself running.
"I was surprised," Jones said. "I immediately thought it was an outstanding coup for Washington."
With the story lines of Gibbs-Cowboys and Gibbs-Parcells, it's no wonder this game is being played on a Monday night - just like Parcells' first trip back to New York with the Cowboys made for a compelling early-season matchup last year.
One thing likely to come up during the ABC broadcast is how well Jones and Parcells have gotten along and whether Gibbs and Snyder will be able to, also.
The early reports are encouraging, with Snyder providing the assistants and free agents Gibbs wanted, as well as building a new coaches lounge and redoing practice fields.
"Every single thing that Dan can do, he's done," Gibbs said. "Our owner has done his job. It's up to me to try and do my job."
Jones believes Snyder and Gibbs will do just fine.
"I know what Dan's goals are and Joe has outstanding people skills, unique experience and talent," he said. "That'll work."
Source: AP
Well, sort of.
In early 1998, Jones was looking for someone to replace Barry Switzer. Jones knew Gibbs since the early 1970s, when Gibbs was an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas, so he felt comfortable calling for advice.
The way Gibbs recalled it Thursday, advice was pretty much the only thing discussed.
Was there a job offer?
"Somewhere in there, he kind of joked about it," Gibbs said, laughing harder the more he talked about it. "I don't think there's any way that he thought or I thought ...
"I can't get in blue. I puke when I see blue."
Jones said earlier this week that during the conversation he asked Gibbs if he was interested in the job. He recalled Gibbs not only said no, but he wouldn't even consider it.
But Jones never mentioned the word "puke."
"He very quickly went to his interest and enthusiasm about being in NASCAR," Jones said.
The main reason Jones called Gibbs was "to go to school and learn what to look for" in hiring a new coach. After all, Jones' previous two hires -- Jimmy Johnson and Switzer -- were people he'd known since the early 1960s, when he was playing for the Razorbacks.
Gibbs talked and Jones listened for quite a while. And Jones wound up following the advice exactly.
"I hired an offensive coordinator and made him head coach," Jones said, failing to add that things never really panned out with Chan Gailey.
When he replaced Gailey, Jones again went the coordinator route, promoting in-house candidate Dave Campo, who had been running the defense. Three years later, Jones was ready to make another drastic change and wound up hiring Parcells.
Parcells came out of retirement to turn the Cowboys from 5-11 to 10-6 in his first season. At the same time, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder saw Gibbs as what his team needed. His timing was perfect as Gibbs was ready to return to the only organization he could see himself running.
"I was surprised," Jones said. "I immediately thought it was an outstanding coup for Washington."
With the story lines of Gibbs-Cowboys and Gibbs-Parcells, it's no wonder this game is being played on a Monday night - just like Parcells' first trip back to New York with the Cowboys made for a compelling early-season matchup last year.
One thing likely to come up during the ABC broadcast is how well Jones and Parcells have gotten along and whether Gibbs and Snyder will be able to, also.
The early reports are encouraging, with Snyder providing the assistants and free agents Gibbs wanted, as well as building a new coaches lounge and redoing practice fields.
"Every single thing that Dan can do, he's done," Gibbs said. "Our owner has done his job. It's up to me to try and do my job."
Jones believes Snyder and Gibbs will do just fine.
"I know what Dan's goals are and Joe has outstanding people skills, unique experience and talent," he said. "That'll work."
Source: AP