USAToday: Jason Garrett borrows from Jimmy Johnson's coaching handbook - Dallas Cowboys Forum

CCBoy · 11-18-2010

Jason Garrett borrows from Jimmy Johnson's coaching handbook
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/footb...terstitialskip

IRVING, Texas (AP) — As a third-string quarterback on the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett tried to absorb every nuance of the game and he especially took note of the way coach Jimmy Johnson ran the club.

Johnson set a tone that resonated throughout the locker room and all of team headquarters. The Cowboys were good and knew it. They knew hard work got them from 1-15 to Super Bowl champs and only more hard work would keep them there. Rules were spelled out, consequences, too; only novices or fools tested the boundaries. Practices could be as tough as games.

By following Johnson's lead during the week, the Cowboys won on the weekends. Garrett never forgot that. And now that he has Johnson's old job, he is using a similar blueprint to make the franchise a winner again — so far, that is.

Garrett is only 1-0 since replacing Wade Phillips last week, but soundly beating the division-leading Giants in New York helped win over a lot of skeptics. On Tuesday, he took a break from planning for the Detroit Lions to let Johnson know his way is back in vogue at Valley Ranch...

JeffInDC · 11-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCBoy

Jason Garrett borrows from Jimmy Johnson's coaching handbook
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/footb...terstitialskip

IRVING, Texas (AP) — As a third-string quarterback on the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett tried to absorb every nuance of the game and he especially took note of the way coach Jimmy Johnson ran the club.

Johnson set a tone that resonated throughout the locker room and all of team headquarters. The Cowboys were good and knew it. They knew hard work got them from 1-15 to Super Bowl champs and only more hard work would keep them there. Rules were spelled out, consequences, too; only novices or fools tested the boundaries. Practices could be as tough as games.

[View Full Quote]

Now, I know I'll get a lot of flack for saying this - but after reading that article, I'm already DONE with the coaching search. Garrett has been waiting for this day FOREVER. What really gets me "hyped" is the people that he has been gaining this "education" from. Anybody that has Jimmy thinking he's gonna be great.........................well, that's all I needed to know. I really think he gets it and I'm really starting to understand why the offense struggled at times even though Jason was in charge - it's the PLAYERS responsibilities to execute the plays right. When I look at the Colts, I don't see a complicated offense. Yet, every year they're a Top 5 unit - because of their meticulous execution. Garrett learned a simple offense that was based solely on the execution of it's parts, and the parts obviously didn't execute all the time. The Dallas offense of the 90's was predictable as well, yet they executed it flawlessly.

I think he'e ready.

Joshmvii · 11-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffInDC

Now, I know I'll get a lot of flack for saying this - but after reading that article, I'm already DONE with the coaching search. Garrett has been waiting for this day FOREVER. What really gets me "hyped" is the people that he has been gaining this "education" from. Anybody that has Jimmy thinking he's gonna be great.........................well, that's all I needed to know. I really think he gets it and I'm really starting to understand why the offense struggled at times even though Jason was in charge - it's the PLAYERS responsibilities to execute the plays right. When I look at the Colts, I don't see a complicated offense. Yet, every year they're a Top 5 unit - because of their meticulous execution. Garrett learned a simple offense that was based solely on the execution of it's parts, and the parts obviously didn't execute all the time. The Dallas offense of the 90's was predictable as well, yet they executed it flawlessly.
[View Full Quote]

If our guys play as hard as they did last Sunday, regardless of the win total from here on out, it's Garrett's job. Jerry wanted to make him the HC in 07 and only didn't because he hadn't had any experience as a coordinator yet. And frankly, I'm happy as hell about it.

zrinkill · 11-18-2010

Quote:

Former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson (FSY) still remembers a conversation he had with Garrett more than 15 years ago. Garrett wanted to know how a safety decides which way to cover a tight end on passing downs, whether to move up and bump him off the line of scrimmage or to back off and follow his route.

"I had to think about it myself," Woodson said, laughing. "You just knew then that this was his life. You could sort of see that this is what he's going to do. He's so organized. He pays attention to all the details. He asks all the right questions. So what he's doing now doesn't surprise me."

Damn that gets me excited ...... I love to hear all these guys who played with Garrett (excluding Deion) talk about how they love this move.

JoeCorrado · 11-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCBoy

Johnson set a tone that resonated throughout the locker room and all of team headquarters. The Cowboys were good and knew it. They knew hard work got them from 1-15 to Super Bowl champs and only more hard work would keep them there. Rules were spelled out, consequences, too; only novices or fools tested the boundaries. Practices could be as tough as games.

By following Johnson's lead during the week, the Cowboys won on the weekends. Garrett never forgot that. And now that he has Johnson's old job, he is using a similar blueprint to make the franchise a winner again — so far, that is.

Those were the days when the Cowboys were a great second half team. You could always count on meaningful adjustments and even more than that, you could count on the players getting better in the 2nd half due to their better conditioning.

If the Cowboys were close at the half, the game almost always was in the bag. THAT is something that I have seen missing for a long time with the Cowboys.

tyke1doe · 11-18-2010

Jimmy Johnson did the same thing when he was a new coach. He sought the advice of sge coaches. And I remembe during the Cowboys first Super Bowl under Johnson, he spoke with Parcells and Walsh and Gibbs and others who had been to the big game. He wanted to know everything from atmosphere to the technical things needed to prepare for the big game.

Glad Garrett remembers this.

followthestar · 11-18-2010

I still beg to question: if Garrett knew these things and was the Asst HC and OC, then why wasn't the offense at least up to par? Wasn't he able to instill discipline in his offensive players at least, since apparently Wade had little input over how Garrett ran the offense? I'm just asking...

zrinkill · 11-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by followthestar

I still beg to question: if Garrett knew these things and was the Asst HC and OC, then why wasn't the offense at least up to par? Wasn't he able to instill discipline in his offensive players at least, since apparently Wade had little input over how Garrett ran the offense? I'm just asking...

Wade ran practice and the team activities.

Jason could not make his players do things the rest of the team was not doing.

There are reports that him and Wade clashed a few times over this.

Cowboys22 · 11-18-2010

I don't really care what the record is the rest of the way. Before we let Garrett go, I want to see what he can do while in charge all offseason and with a healthy Romo. As long as the team doesn't lay down and quit on him, I want him back next year. He turned down several jobs because he wanted this one. Thats the guy I want as coach for the next 20 years!

arglebargle · 11-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by zrinkill

Wade ran practice and the team activities.

Jason could not make his players do things the rest of the team was not doing.

There are reports that him and Wade clashed a few times over this.

Absolutely. Unless you are a Buddy Ryan type, you don't openly undercut the head coach. You may argue behind the scenes, try to change things there; but you will hurt the team, and your reputation, by openly causing trouble.

This is one thing that fans will usually never get: The below the surface stuff that is only available to those in the organization.

tyke1doe · 11-18-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by arglebargle

Absolutely. Unless you are a Buddy Ryan type, you don't openly undercut the head coach. You may argue behind the scenes, try to change things there; but you will hurt the team, and your reputation, by openly causing trouble.

This is one thing that fans will usually never get: The below the surface stuff that is only available to those in the organization.

Dead-on post.

Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka almost came to blows several times. That team was truly a divided team. It was a testament to the talent on that team and the 46 defense that teams had not figured out that the Bears won a championship. And then after that, look how quickly that team deteriorated.

And then look at what happened when Buddy Ryan went to Houston and threw a punch at Kevin Gilbride (spelling?) because he was upset that his offense underperformed.

All these coaches have egos, and they don't like to be undermined. Despite his softy approach, Wade is no different.