Monday, January 7, 2008

'Undisclosed source' strikes again.

Everyone’s favorite rumor monger, this time speaking to the New Haven Register in New Haven, Connecticut, said that Cowboys offensive line/assistant head coach Tony Sparano had not only been offered the Dolphins head coaching job but had accepted it as well.

However, Todd Archer got the skinny straight from the horse’s mouth here - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/010708dnspocowbriefs.296a018.html.

If Sparano had been offered the job, it would have been in violation of the Rooney Rule, which specifies that at least one minority coach must be interviewed before any hirings are done. The Dolphins are interviewing Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier today, so any offer can made after that.

Sparano has been the favorite even before Cam Cameron was fired, and it would seem like the job would be his for the taking in the end, but it’s good to see where his focus lies right now, while he’s still got a job to do with his current team.

And, as Albert Breer points out on the DMN’s blog, it’s far from a done deal, much like the Steelers‘ coaching search last season, when two Pittsburgh assistants looked to be the favorites, then Tomlin went in there and snared the job. It could turn out that his successor as Vikings’ D-coordinator does the same with Parcells and Ireland.

It could end up that Sparano, along with Jason Garrett, could end up staying in Dallas. The haste or patience the Dolphins, Ravens, and Falcons have in terms of their coaching search, how far the Cowboys go in the playoffs, and how well the other candidates do could be the difference in the two coveted coaches going or staying.

No telling what’s going on Garrett’s mind, but you’d have to hope that he’s as focused as Sparano is. These guys know that they have a job to do, and that they have to do that one before they can put serious thought to another one.

No comments: