Jason Garrett nailed his audition. He gets to remain coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press that Garrett will be announced as the new head coach at a news conference at Cowboys Stadium on Thursday afternoon. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the decision.
Team owner Jerry Jones peeled the interim label off Garrett and made him — officially — the eighth head coach in the history of this proud franchise. He’s the first head coach who also played for the Cowboys, as he was a backup to Troy Aikman in the 1990s.
Garrett made the choice easy for Jones by going 5-3 during his half-season in charge. He took over a club that had been 1-7 and was asked to merely make them competitive. He not only compiled a winning record, but his losses were by a total of seven points.
Having seen what Garrett could do, Jones didn’t even interview him. He considered receivers coach Ray Sherman and Miami assistant head coach Todd Bowles. Bowles could still join the staff as defensive coordinator.
The Cowboys needed new leadership when a season that began with legitimate aspirations of becoming the first team to play in the Super Bowl at their home stadium went rotten very quickly. Jones fired Wade Phillips at midseason and turned to Garrett, the 44-year-old assistant head coach and one of the highest-paid assistants in the league.
Garrett will have a say in who stays and who goes, including the coaches. The defense is especially likely to be overhauled after allowing the most points and yards in franchise history. Jones remains committed to a 3-4 alignment.
The NFL labor uncertainty and possibility of a lost season played into Jones’ decision. Whenever players return — as scheduled this offseason, or whenever a new collective-bargaining agreement is done — they already will be familiar with Garrett. Starting over could slow the turnaround Jones expects.
Dallas has appeared in a record eight Super Bowls and won five. However, the club is in the midst of its longest drought — 15 years since reaching the big game, and counting. Dallas has won just two playoff games since its last championship, in 1996 and 2009.
Jones can’t afford any more bad seasons because he needs to sell seats, suites — and perhaps naming rights — for the team’s $1.2 billion stadium that opened last season.