IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys made no official moves on Thursday.
Yet there certainly seems to be a lot going on, especially as they try to get ready for next week’s Senior Bowl down in Mobile, Ala. That’s usually the time teams want to have their entire coaching staff in place.
At this point, there are plenty of spots to fill and the Cowboys spent Thursday working on several different scenarios.
Here’s some of what has occurred, been reported or even suggested concerning the Cowboys’ coaching staff:
- Not long after it was announced Rod Marinelli won’t be returning to the Bears, his name surfaced here with the Cowboys, especially with his ties to new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. Marinelli worked 10 seasons with Kiffin in Tampa Bay, specializing in the “Tampa 2” scheme. Marinelli has been the defensive coordinator for the Bears since 2009, after a three-year stint as the Lions head coach.
As of late Thursday evening, the Cowboys were still working on the final touches of bringing in Marinelli as defensive line coach.
That move signals a change for defensive line coach Brian Baker, who has been here the past two seasons. Whether or not Marinelli joins the staff, Baker isn’t expected to return next season. - The Cowboys met with former Arkansas and Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt here at Valley Ranch on Thursday. The exact role Nutt was meeting about is unclear. The Cowboys have a running backs position open, could have a tight ends position open depending on John Garrett’s future and there has been talk about having a play-caller join the staff.
Nutt coached Arkansas for 10 seasons, leading the Razorbacks to eight bowl games. He resigned after the 2007 season and immediately took the head coaching job at Ole Miss, where he spent four seasons. He led the Rebels to two Cotton Bowl victories, including the first-ever Cotton Bowl played at Cowboys Stadium in 2010. Nutt also served as head coach at Murray State and Boise State and was a longtime college assistant where he has coached under Jimmy Johnson and Lou Holtz.
- Current defensive assistants Jerome Henderson, Wade Wilson and Ben Bloom are all expected to remain on the coaching staff for next season. Henderson joined the Cowboys last season as defensive backs coach.
Wilson’s contract was up as quarterbacks coach but is expected to re-sign. He has coached nine seasons with the Cowboys, including the last six. - One coach whose future seems to be uncertain is linebackers coach Matt Eberflus. Sources within the building have suggested Eberflus will likely remain with the Cowboys. He has coached here the last two seasons after coming over from Cleveland with Rob Ryan.
Eberflus has coached in the 3-4 scheme the last four years, but as a defensive coordinator at Missouri, he switched defenses from a 4-2-5 to a 4-3 “Tampa 2” scheme.
- With Joe DeCamillis taking a job in Chicago, it leaves an opening for a special teams coach. Sources say the Cowboys are looking at veteran coach Rich Bisaccia, who recently took a job at Auburn. Bisaccia worked with Kiffin at Tampa Bay and has recently been the special teams coach in San Diego.
- And joining DeCamillis in Chicago will be Skip Peete, who is now the running backs coach with the Bears. Peete was with the Cowboys six years, joining the club in 2007 when Garrett became offensive coordinator.
