Since taking over the Cowboys' coaching reins last November, Jason Garret has been repeatedly praised for such qualities like his organization, focus, insistence on process. In numerous posts here at BTB, I have happily eaten this cheese, suggesting that he has gained control of the warroom, handles the press like Belichick, etc. One of the contributing factors in this belief has been the way his former teammates--Daryl Johnston and Michael Irvin in particular--have come forth in praise of him. No less a figure than former Cowboys coaching great Jimmy Johnson added his voice to this chorus, regaling us with tales of a Garrett visit to Florida to pick his brain in which the red-headed genius was supremely prepared and asked several notepads worth of questions.
On Tuesday, the mothership posted a story in which former broadcasting great Pat Summerall--the man who, with Tom Brookshier and then John Madden, provided the voice for so many of our very best Cowboys-related memories--claims that Garrett, in his approach and preparation, reminds him of no less lofty a figure than Tom Landry. Certainly he shares an attention to detail and a steady, emotionally reserved approach with the man in the hat; lets hold off on further comparisons until Garrett has logged at least a decade in office. A long time, you say? My reply: what coach other than Garrett, since Jerry Jones bought the team, could you envision being the coach of the Cowboys for a decade when it was announced he's been hired?
More on Garrett after the jump...
Garrett, of course, will have nothing to do with such comparisons. The article goes on to discuss how he and his assistant coaches have been readying themselves for whatever offseason--and then regular season--might come their way. Although they have by now lost at least one rookie minicamp and two weeks of OTA practices (and, given that Garrett is a "rookie" head coach, the Cowboys would have been awarded an additional minicamp), the Dallas coaching staff is using the time to prepare:
To stay busy, Garrett said there have been a few more coaching-staff projects that he's assigned to his assistants. For the most part, it consists of research analysis on several different aspects of the game and situational tendencies in areas such as red-zone offense and defense, goal-line, two-minute drill, four-minute drills and many other categories.
That said, Garrett isn't going to work his charges for much longer; for this, as he seemingly does for everything, he has a plan. Because the next step in the labor (dis)agreement won't take place until June 3, the scheduled date of the lockout appeal hearing, the RHG is giving the coaching staff a couple of weeks off, with the hope that, when they return in early June, it will be to resume activities with the players.
In the midst of scheduling uncertainty, the man seemingly has a contingency for every possible outcome. File ol' rabble away under impressed.