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IRVING, Texas — Jason Garrett opened the season as a lame-duck coach in the last year of his contract.
After leading the Dallas Cowboys to the NFC East title and an 11-4 record heading into Sunday's season final against the Washington Commanders, Garrett has conceivably positioned himself as the hottest coaching prospect in the NFL not named Jim Harbaugh.
Of course, while Harbaugh's departure from the San Francisco 49ers is all but done, there is no chance in hell Garrett will be coaching anywhere but Dallas next season and the foreseeable future. ESPN's Mack Brown feels Garrett is deserving of what he has achieved:
So happy for Jason Garrett. What a coach. What a person. He deserves all good moving forward.
— Mack Brown (@ESPN_CoachMack) December 22, 2014
Owner Jerry Jones has declined to talk about a contract extension for Garrett during the season. And the process-oriented Garrett has no interest in focusing on anything but the next practice and the next game.
But after enduring the growing pains of a 29-27 record during his first three-and-a-half seasons, including three consecutive 8-8 finishes before the surprising breakthrough in 2014, a contract extension for Garrett is a foregone conclusion.
“You know I don’t talk about our contracts, and as it turns out he happens to fall in a contract definition of some work to do,” Jones said.
“It’s no secret that it would be right at the top with two or three fingers of one of the things I’m proudest of the success we’re having is how it’s reflected on Jason and his ability to go forward as the fine coach that he is, but he’s developed a lot of skill, he’s done what all of us do, he’s improved, improved, improved and our fans need to have the advantage of that as we look forward in my mind.”
The real question is how much run should Garrett get for 2014 NFL Coach of the Year honors. Aside from Bruce Arians, NFL.com's Albert Breer's selection would be Garrett:
If it weren't for Bruce Arians' work in Arizona, I think Jason Garrett would be my coach of the year. Done an incredible job in '14.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 22, 2014
Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians seems to be a front-runner for the award. He has nursed his team to an 11-4 mark and a playoff berth despite losing two starting quarterbacks to injury.
But the Cardinals were 10-6 a year ago and expected to make a run in 2014.
Nobody saw this coming from Garrett and the Cowboys and certainly not Jones. Most observers thought it would be a real challenge for Cowboys to even match the middling 8-8 records of the past three years.
Jones stayed patient with Garrett in the offseason because he wanted him to succeed and believed he could. But it's also true that Jones didn't give Garrett the comfort of a contract extension before the season.
Garrett, who believed in himself and the foundation he put down the previous three-and-a-half years, simply took the final step in his maturation as coach in 2014.
Garrett's leadership and drive have been on display all season, but it was never more evident than in the 42-7 victory against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday, clinching the NFC East title.
A Cowboys team, which has wilted in winner-take-all battles for the division title and playoffs in the season final in each of the last three years, seized the day and left no doubt. The Cowboys led 28-0 at halftime before cruising to victory, leaving them with little to play for in the 2014 season final against the Commanders.
Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com also posed the question of whether Garrett should be in considered for coach of the year:
Should Jason Garrett get consideration for coach of the year?
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) December 23, 2014
Quarterback Tony Romo credits Jones for sticking by Garrett, whom he already calls one of the best coaches he's ever been around. That list includes Hall of Famer Bill Parcells.
"Jason is the best head coach in the league that no one talks about," Romo said. "I mean, he's really gifted at his ability to communicate to his players. He's got a great mind for the game of football. One of the best things Jerry (Jones) has done was just stand by him and let his system, his mantra, his philosophy play itself out.
"I think that you're seeing the dividends. You're reaping the rewards of having him stay in place. Jason is going to figure it out. He's as good of a coach as I've ever been around. He's special.''
What's showed all season has been Garrett's growth as a coach and the merits of his coaching tenets he began putting in place when he took over for fired Wade Phillips midway through the 2010 season.
Although there were disappointments, Garrett said he never wavered. He stayed true to the process and that was rewarded with the division title.
"It’s been a process over the past three or four years to build the team the right way," Garrett said. "It takes time to put that together. We had one of the oldest teams in football four years ago, and now we have one of the youngest teams. What we tried to do was bring cornerstone-type players in who love to play football and are the right kind of guys and make that the nucleus of the team.
"There have been opportunities in previous years to break through. We didn’t take full advantage of those. We were able to do that; I think the fruits of that come in a situation when you get a chance to compete and win the NFC East. Now we have a long way to go."
Garrett and the Cowboys are not done building and growing in 2014. A long playoff run is in the offing as well as a shot at the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.
He will get his contract extension. He should also get legitimate consideration as the NFL Coach of the Year.
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...
After leading the Dallas Cowboys to the NFC East title and an 11-4 record heading into Sunday's season final against the Washington Commanders, Garrett has conceivably positioned himself as the hottest coaching prospect in the NFL not named Jim Harbaugh.
Of course, while Harbaugh's departure from the San Francisco 49ers is all but done, there is no chance in hell Garrett will be coaching anywhere but Dallas next season and the foreseeable future. ESPN's Mack Brown feels Garrett is deserving of what he has achieved:
So happy for Jason Garrett. What a coach. What a person. He deserves all good moving forward.
— Mack Brown (@ESPN_CoachMack) December 22, 2014
Owner Jerry Jones has declined to talk about a contract extension for Garrett during the season. And the process-oriented Garrett has no interest in focusing on anything but the next practice and the next game.
But after enduring the growing pains of a 29-27 record during his first three-and-a-half seasons, including three consecutive 8-8 finishes before the surprising breakthrough in 2014, a contract extension for Garrett is a foregone conclusion.
“You know I don’t talk about our contracts, and as it turns out he happens to fall in a contract definition of some work to do,” Jones said.
“It’s no secret that it would be right at the top with two or three fingers of one of the things I’m proudest of the success we’re having is how it’s reflected on Jason and his ability to go forward as the fine coach that he is, but he’s developed a lot of skill, he’s done what all of us do, he’s improved, improved, improved and our fans need to have the advantage of that as we look forward in my mind.”
The real question is how much run should Garrett get for 2014 NFL Coach of the Year honors. Aside from Bruce Arians, NFL.com's Albert Breer's selection would be Garrett:
If it weren't for Bruce Arians' work in Arizona, I think Jason Garrett would be my coach of the year. Done an incredible job in '14.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 22, 2014
Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians seems to be a front-runner for the award. He has nursed his team to an 11-4 mark and a playoff berth despite losing two starting quarterbacks to injury.
But the Cardinals were 10-6 a year ago and expected to make a run in 2014.
Nobody saw this coming from Garrett and the Cowboys and certainly not Jones. Most observers thought it would be a real challenge for Cowboys to even match the middling 8-8 records of the past three years.
Jones stayed patient with Garrett in the offseason because he wanted him to succeed and believed he could. But it's also true that Jones didn't give Garrett the comfort of a contract extension before the season.
Garrett, who believed in himself and the foundation he put down the previous three-and-a-half years, simply took the final step in his maturation as coach in 2014.
Garrett's leadership and drive have been on display all season, but it was never more evident than in the 42-7 victory against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday, clinching the NFC East title.
A Cowboys team, which has wilted in winner-take-all battles for the division title and playoffs in the season final in each of the last three years, seized the day and left no doubt. The Cowboys led 28-0 at halftime before cruising to victory, leaving them with little to play for in the 2014 season final against the Commanders.
Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com also posed the question of whether Garrett should be in considered for coach of the year:
Should Jason Garrett get consideration for coach of the year?
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) December 23, 2014
Quarterback Tony Romo credits Jones for sticking by Garrett, whom he already calls one of the best coaches he's ever been around. That list includes Hall of Famer Bill Parcells.
"Jason is the best head coach in the league that no one talks about," Romo said. "I mean, he's really gifted at his ability to communicate to his players. He's got a great mind for the game of football. One of the best things Jerry (Jones) has done was just stand by him and let his system, his mantra, his philosophy play itself out.
"I think that you're seeing the dividends. You're reaping the rewards of having him stay in place. Jason is going to figure it out. He's as good of a coach as I've ever been around. He's special.''
What's showed all season has been Garrett's growth as a coach and the merits of his coaching tenets he began putting in place when he took over for fired Wade Phillips midway through the 2010 season.
Although there were disappointments, Garrett said he never wavered. He stayed true to the process and that was rewarded with the division title.
"It’s been a process over the past three or four years to build the team the right way," Garrett said. "It takes time to put that together. We had one of the oldest teams in football four years ago, and now we have one of the youngest teams. What we tried to do was bring cornerstone-type players in who love to play football and are the right kind of guys and make that the nucleus of the team.
"There have been opportunities in previous years to break through. We didn’t take full advantage of those. We were able to do that; I think the fruits of that come in a situation when you get a chance to compete and win the NFC East. Now we have a long way to go."
Garrett and the Cowboys are not done building and growing in 2014. A long playoff run is in the offing as well as a shot at the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.
He will get his contract extension. He should also get legitimate consideration as the NFL Coach of the Year.
Clarence Hill covers the Cowboys for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...