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How Jason Garrett has put his imprint on the Dallas Cowboys
Jean-Jacques Taylor, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- Rod Marinelli handles the Dallas Cowboys' defense, and Scott Linehan calls the plays.
Will McClay finds the players, and vice president Stephen Jones manages the salary cap.
So what exactly does Jason Garrett contribute to merit the five-year, $30 million deal he received from owner Jerry Jones during the offseason?
After all, before the start of last season, most folks figured Garrett would be among the first coaches fired in 2014. Instead, he led the Cowboys to an NFC East title and their second playoff win since 1996.
Garrett, Bill Parcells and Jimmy Johnson -- not in that order -- are the best coaches in the Cowboys' illustrious history at getting players to perform at a high level by getting inside their heads.
Johnson, who has a psychology degree, did it with fear.
"I felt every minute of every day that I was on the practice field that his eyes were burning a hole in the back of my head," Garrett, a former Cowboys backup QB, once said of Johnson. "There was never a minute of any day that I was around him when he was the head coach of this team that I, as a player, and all the other players and coaches didn't know he was the head coach."
Parcells used fear too. Of course, Johnson and Parcells took that approach because they wielded real power. The players understood neither coach needed Jerry's permission to get rid of them.
Garrett gets similar results with a different approach.
He persuades players to embrace the vision he has for them and the team by creating the highest of standards and demanding his players reach it.
They perform to please him.
"Coach Garrett, he's one of a kind," Dez Bryant said. "I honestly do give him a whole lot of credit for me understanding his offense and him making sure I'm doing everything I'm supposed to. It took time, because he's a perfection-type guy.
"The structure that he lays out in front of us, it makes sense. I think, if you want to be a better person, I'd advise you to listen to him, because the things that Coach Garrett teaches and preaches are amazing, and I love him.
"I love him because he helped me become a better player -- not by the things that we do on the field, just in life, period."
The Cowboys have a roster filled with the "right kind of guys" -- players who were drafted and acquired, in part, because they're predisposed to Garrett's philosophy.
That's why you can walk around the Cowboys' locker room and find player after player who refer to Garrett as inspirational or motivational.
Garrett shields much of that aspect of his personality from the media and the public. We see what he chooses to let us see.
Occasionally, a glimpse of his personality gets revealed when he drops an F-bomb in practice or addresses the crowd at the Cowboys' annual kickoff luncheon.
And, sometimes, it'll happen after a game, like the time his voice quivered as he talked about how proud he was of the Cowboys for a come-from-behind win on the road against Cincinnati less than 24 hours after defensive tackle Josh Brent had been in a one-car accident that resulted in practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown's death.
Finally, Garrett has the power he needs to continue putting his imprint on the franchise. It hasn't always been that way.
Jerry made him fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan after the 2012 season and shift from the 3-4 defense to the 4-3. A year later, Jerry made Garrett hand over the play-calling duties to former offensive line coach Bill Callahan.
Well, Callahan is now gone and Garrett hired his friend, Linehan, to run the offense in 2014. He trusted Linehan implicitly, which meant he could spend time coaching the entire team -- not just the offense -- and the results have been impressive.
Players perform for Garrett because he's a man of integrity.
"He'll never lie to you," left tackle Tyron Smith said.
Garrett's always telling the team it doesn't matter how much you make or where you drafted, the best players play.
Then they see undrafted free agents such as quarterback Tony Romo, guard Ron Leary and safety Barry Church in the starting lineup. Or they see the team release linebacker Jasper Brinkley, who was guaranteed $2 million.
"I know it made me practice harder and play harder," Church said, "because I felt like I had a real chance to play. He's always treated everyone the same, and that's why we respect him."
And it's why Jerry is happily paying Garrett $6 million a year.
--------------------------------------------
Somewhere, Hostile is sending an open invitation to endlessly fellate his former nemesis, JJT.
Jean-Jacques Taylor, ESPN Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas -- Rod Marinelli handles the Dallas Cowboys' defense, and Scott Linehan calls the plays.
Will McClay finds the players, and vice president Stephen Jones manages the salary cap.
So what exactly does Jason Garrett contribute to merit the five-year, $30 million deal he received from owner Jerry Jones during the offseason?
After all, before the start of last season, most folks figured Garrett would be among the first coaches fired in 2014. Instead, he led the Cowboys to an NFC East title and their second playoff win since 1996.
Garrett, Bill Parcells and Jimmy Johnson -- not in that order -- are the best coaches in the Cowboys' illustrious history at getting players to perform at a high level by getting inside their heads.
Johnson, who has a psychology degree, did it with fear.
"I felt every minute of every day that I was on the practice field that his eyes were burning a hole in the back of my head," Garrett, a former Cowboys backup QB, once said of Johnson. "There was never a minute of any day that I was around him when he was the head coach of this team that I, as a player, and all the other players and coaches didn't know he was the head coach."
Parcells used fear too. Of course, Johnson and Parcells took that approach because they wielded real power. The players understood neither coach needed Jerry's permission to get rid of them.
Garrett gets similar results with a different approach.
He persuades players to embrace the vision he has for them and the team by creating the highest of standards and demanding his players reach it.
They perform to please him.
"Coach Garrett, he's one of a kind," Dez Bryant said. "I honestly do give him a whole lot of credit for me understanding his offense and him making sure I'm doing everything I'm supposed to. It took time, because he's a perfection-type guy.
"The structure that he lays out in front of us, it makes sense. I think, if you want to be a better person, I'd advise you to listen to him, because the things that Coach Garrett teaches and preaches are amazing, and I love him.
"I love him because he helped me become a better player -- not by the things that we do on the field, just in life, period."
The Cowboys have a roster filled with the "right kind of guys" -- players who were drafted and acquired, in part, because they're predisposed to Garrett's philosophy.
That's why you can walk around the Cowboys' locker room and find player after player who refer to Garrett as inspirational or motivational.
Garrett shields much of that aspect of his personality from the media and the public. We see what he chooses to let us see.
Occasionally, a glimpse of his personality gets revealed when he drops an F-bomb in practice or addresses the crowd at the Cowboys' annual kickoff luncheon.
And, sometimes, it'll happen after a game, like the time his voice quivered as he talked about how proud he was of the Cowboys for a come-from-behind win on the road against Cincinnati less than 24 hours after defensive tackle Josh Brent had been in a one-car accident that resulted in practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown's death.
Finally, Garrett has the power he needs to continue putting his imprint on the franchise. It hasn't always been that way.
Jerry made him fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan after the 2012 season and shift from the 3-4 defense to the 4-3. A year later, Jerry made Garrett hand over the play-calling duties to former offensive line coach Bill Callahan.
Well, Callahan is now gone and Garrett hired his friend, Linehan, to run the offense in 2014. He trusted Linehan implicitly, which meant he could spend time coaching the entire team -- not just the offense -- and the results have been impressive.
Players perform for Garrett because he's a man of integrity.
"He'll never lie to you," left tackle Tyron Smith said.
Garrett's always telling the team it doesn't matter how much you make or where you drafted, the best players play.
Then they see undrafted free agents such as quarterback Tony Romo, guard Ron Leary and safety Barry Church in the starting lineup. Or they see the team release linebacker Jasper Brinkley, who was guaranteed $2 million.
"I know it made me practice harder and play harder," Church said, "because I felt like I had a real chance to play. He's always treated everyone the same, and that's why we respect him."
And it's why Jerry is happily paying Garrett $6 million a year.
--------------------------------------------
Somewhere, Hostile is sending an open invitation to endlessly fellate his former nemesis, JJT.
....nothing has changed here.