:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7640481/20120929_kdl_sz2_115.0.jpg)
The staff continues to fill out for the Dallas Cowboys, as Derek Dooley has been named officially as the new wide receivers coach. This was first reported as a likely move a couple of weeks ago, and it has now been confirmed. OCC's original piece has his coaching resume and recent history available.
Dooley is now the fourth coach on Jason Garrett's staff with head coaching experience at either the NFL or NCAA level, joining Bill Callahan, Monte Kiffin, and Rod Marinelli. While this has led to rampant speculation about the security of Jason Garrett's job as head coach, it is also worth noting that Garrett and Dooley worked together on the Miami Dolphins staff. It does look to be more of a Garrett hire than a Jerry Jones one. I bring this up, of course, because all personnel moves at Valley Ranch are being seen in light of an imagined power struggle between the head coach and the owner/GM.
Dooley will be replacing Jimmy Robinson, who was the former assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. Robinson, who has been credited with the breakout performance of Dez Bryant in 2012, has been retained by the team in a position titled "Senior Coaching Consultant". For some weeks, there have been various reports that Robinson was considering retirement and that the team wanted to keep him, at least in some role. This seems to confirm that the decision to replace him is likely to have been a mutual agreement to let him take a step back while still keeping him to continue with Bryant's development, among other things. The life of an NFL coach consists of long hours and a lot of stress, and after 28 years of coaching at various levels, including 22 in the league, a desire to slow down a little is easy to believe.
Dallas now has only two coaching positions left to fill, running backs and tight ends. Both Dooley and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia were reported to be in line for their positions a couple of weeks ago, before things slowed down a bit. Now that both have become official, we will get a chance to see if the recent rumors about Sam Gash joining the staff pan out, or if another option will present itself.