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Underdog · 02-04-2009, 07:40 AM

Early Signs Of Change
But Still No Official Word On Dan Reeves

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IRVING, Texas - When Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips promised there would be changes in 2009, he certainly meant for those to be the most visible once the team began training camp and, of course, the regular season.

But even here in the first month of the off-season, noticeable changes are already taking shape, especially on the coaching staff.

Although the Cowboys have yet to officially announce the hiring of Dan Reeves, it does appear the veteran head coach will have a role with the organization this season. Reeves, 65, who has twice coached with Phillips in Denver and Atlanta, has been at Valley Ranch this week. It was reported last week that Reeves and the Cowboys were discussing a role on staff as a possible consultant.

The Cowboys are expected to announce not only his hire, but outline Reeves' duties with the club as early as this week.

One of the changes Phillips said could occur this season involved his leniency with the players. One report that surfaced last week was that Reeves' primary role with the Cowboys would be to instill more discipline within the team, making the players more accountable for their actions, both on and off the field.

The fact that Reeves interviewed for the 49ers offensive coordinator position two weeks ago suggests the veteran coach intends on taking a hands-on approach. After the interview, Reeves apparently informed San Francisco officials that he would be joining the Cowboys' staff.

Reeves certainly has an offensive background, starting back to his playing days with the Cowboys as a running back from 1965-72. But it didn't take long to figure out that coaching was in Reeves' blood. He even joined the staff as a player/coach in 1970 and held that role for three seasons.

Reeves later rejoined the Cowboys' coaching staff in various roles, beginning in 1974 as the special teams coach, and then served as offensive coordinator and coached the quarterbacks and receivers from 1976-80.

He took over as Denver's head coach in 1981 and held the job for 12 years before he was eventually replaced by Phillips, who had joined him as the defensive coordinator in 1989. Reeves served as head coach for the Giants (1993-96) and then Atlanta from 1997-2003, although he was dismissed from his duties before the end of that season. Phillips again replaced Reeves as head coach on an interim basis.

As a head coach, Reeves has led four teams to the Super Bowl, although he was winless in those games. With John Elway running the ship in Denver, the Broncos came up empty three times in the big game during the 1980s. As head coach of Atlanta, Reeves guided the Falcons to a 14-2 record in 1998 and a dramatic upset of the Vikings en route to the Super Bowl. Ironically enough, the Elway-led Broncos knocked off the Falcons in the Super Bowl that year, leaving Reeves 0-4 in the championship game.

As of late, Reeves has definitely been following the game, working as a color radio analyst on Westwood One and has also co-hosted football shows on Sirius radio.

If hired by the Cowboys, Reeves would not only reunite with Phillips, but also his son-in-law Joe DeCamillis, who was recently hired by the Cowboys to replace Bruce Reed. DeCamillis has 20 years of NFL experience as a special teams coach, and has worked for Reeves in Denver, New York and Atlanta.

Other vacancies on staff include the Cowboys' defensive coordinator position. The spot became available when the Cowboys dismissed Brian Stewart from the post on Jan. 23. While Phillips took over the defensive calls midway through last season, it is possible the Cowboys would not hire an outside coach to replace Stewart.

If Phillips doesn't find another coach who is familiar with his 3-4 defense, he could always promote from within the staff, meaning assistants such as Todd Grantham, Dave Campo and Reggie Herring would be likely candidates. Both Grantham and Campo have been defensive coordinators in the NFL and Herring has held the title at several places at the collegiate level.

With free agency to begin Feb. 27, expect even more changes involving players. Although owner Jerry Jones has said he doesn't anticipate the Cowboys being too aggressive in free agency, he will have to make some decisions on some of his own unrestricted free agents, including Chris Canty, Kevin Burnett, Keith Davis, Zach Thomas and Tank Johnson.

Phillips said there would be changes. Already we've seen a few and are expecting several more to come.

02-04-2009, 07:40 AM	#106
Underdog Moderator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: 41.21.1 Posts: 36,143	Early Signs Of Change But Still No Official Word On Dan Reeves link IRVING, Texas - When Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips promised there would be changes in 2009, he certainly meant for those to be the most visible once the team began training camp and, of course, the regular season. But even here in the first month of the off-season, noticeable changes are already taking shape, especially on the coaching staff. Although the Cowboys have yet to officially announce the hiring of Dan Reeves, it does appear the veteran head coach will have a role with the organization this season. Reeves, 65, who has twice coached with Phillips in Denver and Atlanta, has been at Valley Ranch this week. It was reported last week that Reeves and the Cowboys were discussing a role on staff as a possible consultant. The Cowboys are expected to announce not only his hire, but outline Reeves' duties with the club as early as this week. One of the changes Phillips said could occur this season involved his leniency with the players. One report that surfaced last week was that Reeves' primary role with the Cowboys would be to instill more discipline within the team, making the players more accountable for their actions, both on and off the field. The fact that Reeves interviewed for the 49ers offensive coordinator position two weeks ago suggests the veteran coach intends on taking a hands-on approach. After the interview, Reeves apparently informed San Francisco officials that he would be joining the Cowboys' staff. Reeves certainly has an offensive background, starting back to his playing days with the Cowboys as a running back from 1965-72. But it didn't take long to figure out that coaching was in Reeves' blood. He even joined the staff as a player/coach in 1970 and held that role for three seasons. Reeves later rejoined the Cowboys' coaching staff in various roles, beginning in 1974 as the special teams coach, and then served as offensive coordinator and coached the quarterbacks and receivers from 1976-80. He took over as Denver's head coach in 1981 and held the job for 12 years before he was eventually replaced by Phillips, who had joined him as the defensive coordinator in 1989. Reeves served as head coach for the Giants (1993-96) and then Atlanta from 1997-2003, although he was dismissed from his duties before the end of that season. Phillips again replaced Reeves as head coach on an interim basis. As a head coach, Reeves has led four teams to the Super Bowl, although he was winless in those games. With John Elway running the ship in Denver, the Broncos came up empty three times in the big game during the 1980s. As head coach of Atlanta, Reeves guided the Falcons to a 14-2 record in 1998 and a dramatic upset of the Vikings en route to the Super Bowl. Ironically enough, the Elway-led Broncos knocked off the Falcons in the Super Bowl that year, leaving Reeves 0-4 in the championship game. As of late, Reeves has definitely been following the game, working as a color radio analyst on Westwood One and has also co-hosted football shows on Sirius radio. If hired by the Cowboys, Reeves would not only reunite with Phillips, but also his son-in-law Joe DeCamillis, who was recently hired by the Cowboys to replace Bruce Reed. DeCamillis has 20 years of NFL experience as a special teams coach, and has worked for Reeves in Denver, New York and Atlanta. Other vacancies on staff include the Cowboys' defensive coordinator position. The spot became available when the Cowboys dismissed Brian Stewart from the post on Jan. 23. While Phillips took over the defensive calls midway through last season, it is possible the Cowboys would not hire an outside coach to replace Stewart. If Phillips doesn't find another coach who is familiar with his 3-4 defense, he could always promote from within the staff, meaning assistants such as Todd Grantham, Dave Campo and Reggie Herring would be likely candidates. Both Grantham and Campo have been defensive coordinators in the NFL and Herring has held the title at several places at the collegiate level. With free agency to begin Feb. 27, expect even more changes involving players. Although owner Jerry Jones has said he doesn't anticipate the Cowboys being too aggressive in free agency, he will have to make some decisions on some of his own unrestricted free agents, including Chris Canty, Kevin Burnett, Keith Davis, Zach Thomas and Tank Johnson. Phillips said there would be changes. Already we've seen a few and are expecting several more to come. __________________ These days being a fan is a competition to see who can be the most upset when your team loses. That proves you love winning more. That's how it works. Last edited by Underdog; 02-04-2009 at 07:41 AM.