Coaches

IRVING – For years, Barry Switzer was a giant of the college football coaching ranks, winning three national championships and 12 Big Eight titles.

Now he's simply the only Dallas Cowboys coach never to have won a Super Bowl.

But give the former Oklahoma coach more than one day on the job, and who knows what he might do. Despite being out of football for the past five years, Mr. Switzer inherits magnificent talent with the Cowboys, who have won the past two Super Bowls. He indicated Wednesday afternoon at his introductory news conference that he has lost none of the enthusiasm that was his hallmark when he stalked the Sooners' sideline for 16 years.

"Today, I can say without question this is the happiest day of my professional career, to be the head football coach of the Dallas Cowboys," Mr. Switzer said. "I wanted to coach in the NFL, but I thought maybe time had passed me by. I was in the right place at the right time."

In fact, Mr. Switzer, 56, said he was on his couch last week when Mr. Jones called him in Norman, Okla., to gauge his interest in possibly succeeding Jimmy Johnson as coach. Mr. Jones said he didn't call Mr. Switzer until Monday. And then Mr. Switzer said he wasn't sure when Mr. Jones first called.

That was the only time Mr. Jones and Mr. Switzer were out of sync in a news conference punctuated by Mr. Switzer's backslapping exuberance and Mr. Jones' lecturing of the news media.

Mr. Johnson's name was raised throughout, with Mr. Switzer voicing nothing but praise for his predecessor, who stepped down Tuesday after five seasons with the Cowboys. During Mr. Johnson's tenure, the team advanced from a league-worst 1-15 record to winning the past two Super Bowls. Mr. Johnson's predecessor, Tom Landry, also coached the Cowboys to two Super Bowl titles.

If Mr. Switzer took a shot at Mr. Johnson, it was when he offered assurances that he would not allow his ego to destroy a working relationship with Mr. Jones.

"I asked Jerry how you two guys could have so much success and allow this to happen. I just couldn't imagine it. But I don't live in their house," Mr. Switzer said. "Let me say that Barry Switzer's not going to be the problem.

"Barry Switzer knows the rules. I don't have an ego that allows me to step on myself and put myself in a position that could injure that relationship. People close to me know that."

Mr. Jones guaranteed that the relationship would work, that things would not change and that this - just like the hiring of Mr. Johnson - was another bright day for the Cowboys.

"The guy next to me has my personal and total trust and commitment," said Mr. Jones, who has known Mr. Switzer since 1962, when Mr. Jones was a player at Arkansas and Mr. Switzer was an assistant coach. "He happens to be as talented and as special for this situation as anyone. Five years ago, I said we would win, we had to win, that winning was the name of the game. Nothing has changed in five years."

Only this time around, there was no mention of a 10-year contract, which is what Mr. Jones gave Mr. Johnson when he hired him away from the University of Miami in 1989.

Mr. Switzer received a multi-year contract that contains a rollover agreement, but other terms were not disclosed.

"It has plenty of commitment," Mr. Jones said.

Mr. Switzer's OU teams compiled a 157-29-4 record and eight bowl victories. His .837 winning percentage is the fourth-highest in college history.

It is well-documented that Mr. Switzer left the program in a shambles and on probation. NCAA infractions won't be a problem in Dallas.

The other commonly heard criticism of Mr. Switzer is that he favored the wishbone formation and was unfamiliar with the pro game.

"Would you say there are a number of former defensive coordinators doing well as head coach in the pros?" Mr. Switzer asked. "At least I'm an offensive coach. At least I'm on that side of the ball. Hey, coaches always get too much praise for winning and criticism for losing. You have to have talent, and this team has talent."

Mr. Switzer mentioned no specifics when asked whether he planned to bring something new to the Cowboys.

"There's not going to be any changes," he said. "I'm hoping I can do as good a job as Jimmy Johnson. That's what you're hoping."

Then, slapping Mr. Jones on the back, Mr. Switzer shouted, "And that's damn sure what you're hoping."

Mr. Switzer left Norman on Tuesday afternoon after receiving a phone call from Mr. Jones indicating that Mr. Johnson was leaving the Cowboys. Mr. Switzer drove to the Plano home of George Hays, the Cowboys' vice president and director of marketing, where he met with Mr. Jones on Tuesday night and worked out the details of his contract.

After arriving at Valley Ranch early Wednesday morning, Mr. Switzer met with his new coaching staff. He said he intends to keep all of Mr. Johnson's assistants.

"I knew most of them, and I only met one or two for the first time. Jimmy had put together a great staff," he said. "I told them to give me a chance. There's no doubt I'll give them a chance."

Mr. Jones said he considered defensive coordinator Butch Davis for Mr. Johnson's position and met with him twice but felt that Mr. Switzer's experience and charisma made him the obvious choice.

Mr. Jones also lashed out at media critics in a rare public display of anger.

"In 1989, the challenge you gave me as an individual to get my name back gave me more resolve than I've ever had," he said. "The last few days have done the same thing for me.

"Whether you like it or not, the decisions I have to make affect the success of this football team. I do resent the fact that because I'm here every day, because of my commitment, that's called meddling. If you worked as hard as I have to get to where I've got and it was called meddling, you'd be a little defensive. Just keep on going. You're motivating me."

Mr. Switzer's early morning arrival at the Cowboys' complex coincided with Mr. Johnson's exit. Mr. Johnson arrived shortly before 6 a.m. to make several television appearances, then finished some packing in his office before leaving at 7:30 a.m.

Mr. Switzer made certain that the first player he met with was Troy Aikman, the quarterback he recruited to Oklahoma in 1984. Mr. Aikman's broken leg and the Sooners' subsequent return to the wishbone prompted his transfer to the University of California at Los Angeles.

"My experience with Coach Switzer is that he's an outstanding coach. He relates extremely well to his players," Mr. Aikman said. "I was asked (by Mr. Jones) what my feelings would be about him coming here, and they were all positive. If there had been any negative, I'm not sure if it would have made a difference."

Not likely. Mr. Jones is calling the shots at Valley Ranch, a point he hammered home during Wednesday's news conference. Mr. Switzer said he couldn't care less about general manager responsibilities or the definition of roles.

"If you have success, there's plenty of credit for everyone," he said.

It was only a year ago that Mr. Johnson uttered those very words.