Critical sports blog

The Jerry Jones show is under way. The future Al Davis is looking for a coach with ties to the organization, youth, and the inability to say no when Jerry calls down and asks him to run a skinny post. Enter Jason Garrett. The former back-up to Troy Aikman and current Quarterbacks coach at Miami is considered a front runner to become offensive coordinator and, barring reason, head coach. While Garrett is considered a fine young offensive mind we're talking about a team with T.O. In his mind, Terrell thinks Jerry pushed Bill out in favor of 81. Can Jason Garrett handle the Cowboys? Maybe. I wouldn't bet on it. San Diego defensive coordinator Wade Phillips interviewed Friday with the Dallas Cowboys about replacing retired head coach Bill Parcells. Phillips, the former head coach at Denver and Buffalo who also had interim stints in New Orleans and Atlanta, said he had a "very encompassing talk" with Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. Phillips has a 48-39 coaching record. Jones also plans to talk to San Francisco offensive coordinator Norv Turner, a former head coach for Washington and Oakland, and New Orleans defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs. Both are former Dallas assistants. Gibbs was scheduled to interview Saturday. Turner is coaching at the Senior Bowl in Saturday, and his interview will be later. The 49ers, however, are doing their best to keep Turner. The team has offered a lucrative incentive package in his contract, hoping to persuade Turner to stay on as offensive coordinator, according to an ESPN report. While Phillips didn't get a timetable from Jones about when a decision would be made, Phillips said, "it would not be a long, drawn-out process." On Thursday, the Cowboys added Jason Garrett to their coaching staff in an unspecified role, but said he would remain a candidate for the head coaching job. The team said Garrett's responsibilities and title wouldn't be determined until Parcells' replacement was hired, but he's expected to be offensive coordinator if he's not head coach. Garrett, the backup to Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman for two Super Bowl titles in Dallas from 1993-99, was quarterbacks coach in Miami the last two seasons _ his only coaching experience.