Lovie Smith to the Dallas Cowboys in 2014?
All of the coaching vacancies in the NFL have been filled, and the most surprising name without a job this offseason, is former Chicago Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith, but his future head coaching gig could be with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. There are a couple of reasons for this possibility, but you have to look at the facts first. The first fact is Jerry Jones has hired Monte Kiffin be the next defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys who is known as a Tampa 2 defense aficionado. While this hire may be seen as nothing special. It is a significant change in philosophy on the defensive side of the ball. The mere fact the Cowboys defense is changing from a 3-4 to a 4-3 is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of changes this defense will go through in the future.
The only risk to the Tampa 2 in Dallas is whether Jerry Jones will commit to this new style of defense. However Jones proved his commitment to the 3-4 base defense for a full decade. He may be quicker to pulling the trigger on changes this next time around with the Tampa 2 if significant progress isn’t shown quickly, but Jones will at least commit to the defensive scheme for at least a couple of seasons. That means the Dallas Cowboys will be running a 4-3 Tampa 2 system in 2014, and Jason Garrett is already on the hot seat for 2013. Garrett was already on the hot seat after the Cowboys lost to the Washington Redskins in Week 17 that cost the Cowboys a shot to go into the Playoffs in 2012.
It has also widely been rumored that Jones wants to strip Garrett of his play calling duties, and have Bill Callahan call the plays for the Cowboys in 2013. That spells friction between Jones and Garrett coming to a head in 2013 if the Cowboys don’t win. If Garrett can’t turn around the Cowboys in 2013, then he’s gone and that’s where Lovie Smith would be a surprisingly good fit in Dallas. For starters, Smith is a Tampa 2 defensive minded coach and the groundwork for the Tampa 2 would already be laid after 2013. Smith is also a leader in the locker room, and always gets the respect of the players who play for him.
Not to mention Lovie Smith is from Texas. He grew up in East Texas and went to college at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. Jerry Jones likes coaches with a bit of southern drawl and a background in that part of the country. It would be a perfect fit for Lovie Smith who would hopefully finish his career in the NFL in the state he grew up, and bring a couple of Championships as well. The only thing stopping Smith from nabbing the Cowboys job is Jason Garrett, and most Cowboys fans and experts have a big feeling he’ll be gone in 2013. Which means Lovie Smith to the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 has a high likelihood of happening next season.
James Cobern is a Featured Journalist for TPF and can be contacted at JCobern@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com.
