Coaches

IRVING – Chan Gailey was hired less than two years ago to spark the Dallas Cowboys' moribund offense. He was fired Tuesday because his ideas weren't embraced, the offense sputtered and the season fell flat.

Owner Jerry Jones ended the briefest coaching tenure in the club's 40-year history about 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon, when he walked into Mr. Gailey's office and informed the coach he was fired. The decision was made less than 48 hours after a 27-10 playoff loss to Minnesota concluded one of the Cowboys' worst seasons in the last nine years.

Clearly, an 8-8 regular season was not the return Mr. Jones envisioned for his investment of $41.5 million in signing bonuses for the team.

In explaining the dismissal, Mr. Jones said it would take too much time and energy over the next few months to get Mr. Gailey and his players on the same philosophical page. Mr. Jones talked about moving in a direction that would better fit the offensive talents of his players – specifically quarterback Troy Aikman – and refused to set a timetable or provide a profile of what he was looking for in the team's next head coach.

"The decision I had to make today was about football," Mr. Jones said. "Not about egos or friendships gone awry. Not about clashes, not about contentiousness, not about a structure that created problems in functioning to make decisions.

"What this change is about is that we did not have the success that we all expected, not only 1998 but '99 as well."

Mr. Gailey replaced Barry Switzer in February 1998. The Cowboys were 18-16 in Mr. Gailey's two seasons and won an NFC East title. The coach also presided over a period in which the club made strides in cleaning up a public image that Mr. Jones admits left him embarrassed.

Mr. Gailey and Minnesota's Dennis Green are the only two coaches who led their teams to the National Football Conference playoffs the last two seasons. Dallas, however, floundered each time, losing to Arizona last year before this week's loss to the Vikings.

Mr. Jones lauded Mr. Gailey for his passion, loyalty and unparalleled work ethic. Mr. Jones and others in the organization have consistently talked about the coach's attention to detail and his strong desire to win. That didn't necessarily manifest itself on the field. Dallas lost nine of its last 14 games under Mr. Gailey and was the most-penalized team in the National Football League.

"You can look and ask where were the problems," Mr. Gailey said. "Was it discipline? Was it injuries? Was it player problems? Coaching problems? It was probably some of all of that. "The bottom line is, it didn't get done."

Day's events

Mr. Jones, who was out of town Monday evening at an unspecified location, arrived at the team's Valley Ranch complex early Tuesday and spent most of the day in his office.

Mr. Gailey and his staff were evaluating players in a meeting when Mr. Gailey was told by a secretary that Mr. Jones wanted to meet. Mr. Gailey excused himself and met with Mr. Jones for about 15 minutes in the coach's office. He returned about 3:30 to tell his staff he had been fired.

He is the fourth coach to leave since Mr. Jones purchased the franchise nearly 11 years ago, and the owner conceded that this firing seemed the most unfair.

Mr. Gailey voiced disappointment at his quick dismissal. "I would like to have had more of a chance," the coach said.

Dallas' decline

The next coach will be given a chance to take over a team that has clearly fallen from the league's elite. Dallas hasn't won a playoff game in more than three years and is four years removed from its last Super Bowl title.

"As far as going forward, I can only assure you that we will acquire and try to have the brightest people available," Mr. Jones said. "It would be inappropriate, and I don't want to, talk about what my plans are and what the organization's plans are as far as going forward from here and hiring a new coach."

Mr. Jones indicated that most of the current staff – defensive line coach Jim Bates and receivers coach Dwain Painter are the only two not under contract – would be retained.

"I do believe that our staff is one of the best assets that we have in the Dallas Cowboys organization," Mr. Jones said. Mr. Gailey was one of the lowest-paid head coaches in the NFL. He has three years left on a contract believed to pay him slightly less than $2 million.

Asked whether it could be assumed that Mr. Jones bought out the remainder of his contract, Mr. Gailey responded, "Don't assume anything."

Tuesday's move was an admission that Mr. Jones miscalculated the ability of the players to adapt to Mr. Gailey's system. He refused to offer specifics, saying he would discuss that at a later time, but Mr. Jones' comment about failing to maximize what was in place clearly pointed to Mr. Aikman.

Emerging signs

The first public hint that Mr. Jones was distancing himself from his head coach came in the days leading up to the regular-season finale against the New York Giants. Mr. Jones said Mr. Gailey's system had not put the quarterback in position to succeed, and he vowed to make changes.

"I knew we were making a pretty significant change in what we were doing offensively," Mr. Jones said of his initial hiring of Mr. Gailey. "I really knew there were risks involved. I thought we could take those risks and hit a home run.

"To some degree, we had some success with it. But we didn't have the kind of success I thought we could have."

The Cowboys scored 30 or more points in seven of the team's first 12 games under Mr. Gailey. Dallas broke that barrier just once in his final 19 regular-season games. The team scored a total of just 17 points in its two playoff appearances with Mr. Gailey.

Mr. Jones said he did not speak to Mr. Aikman after Mr. Gailey was fired. He didn't answer whether he had talked to Mr. Aikman before reaching a decision.

Mr. Gailey declined to comment when asked what it was about his system that didn't fit Mr. Aikman's skills. He was also asked whether he thought the players undermined his system.

"I can't say they undermined me," Mr. Gailey said. "I think they told the truth about what they believe.

"When you come and take over a veteran team that had a great deal of success, they believe very strongly in what they're doing. Unless you do a supreme job of winning them over immediately, there is always, in the back of their mind, the thought there might be a better way to do it.

"I think that probably was the case. That's why everybody wasn't on the same page at all times." Mr. Gailey said he leaves with an unshakable faith in his system and a belief in what he calls his God-given ability to coach football.

"What am I going to do now?" Mr. Gailey said, repeating a question. "I don't know. "Pack up my office."