Sometimes you need to be careful about what you wish for, because it just may come true. I was hopeful that Mike Zimmer would leave Dallas, not because I think he's a bad coach, but because he's not a good coach for the 3-4 defense. So I got my wish and Zimmer will be coaching Atlanta this year. But it looks like the second part of my wish, an experienced, veteran 3-4 coordinator being brought in might not happen.
According to a source, Bowles would have been the choice last year had Zimmer, who interviewed to be the St. Louis Rams head coach, taken another job.
I don't know much about Bowles, so I can't comment intelligently about his work, but that sure isn't the type of name I'm hoping for. I want a veteran coach from outside the organization that would come in with new ideas and really shake this defense up. Our defense seemed to go stale over the last part of the season. I want them to have a new, fresh voice to listen to, with new, fresh ideas. Promoting from within keeps continuity, but that's the one thing on defense that we don't need.
There's still hope that Parcells might choose to go a different direction should he return, and if he doesn't return all bets are off. But if the Cowboys promote from within for defensive coordinator, it will be the first big disappointment for me in this offseason.
I thought this comment by Greg Ellis on Zimmer was interesting.
"Maybe he can get into a situation where he can be happy about what he's doing." That sounds like Zimmer was never very comfortable about coaching the 3-4 and wasn't thrilled to be doing it
Yesterday, we talked about the story concerning Parcells reaching out for the New York Giants GM position. Today, everyone is denying it happened, including Parcells.
"Parcells did not contact us and, as a result, he was not rebuffed," Hanlon said in an e-mail message.
The Star-Ledger, citing two high-ranking NFL officials, reported Parcells notified the Giants of his interest through intermediaries. Parcells said there has been neither direct nor indirect contact with the Giants.
"There's absolutely no truth to it," he told The Star-Ledger by phone yesterday morning. "I haven't talked to them and they haven't talked to me, and there haven't been any intermediaries."
Ah, the offseason: where the truth is an enigma wrapped in denials, and rumor becomes fact just because it's written on the printed page. Isn't it fun?