IRVING – Only four days old, the Cowboys' coaching search is one of curiosity and familiarity.
Thursday night, the Cowboys announced the hiring of former quarterback Jason Garrett to an undetermined spot on the coaching staff and that he will remain a candidate for the head coaching job. Sources have said Garrett will be the team's offensive coordinator if he does not become Bill Parcells' successor.
The team expanded its search Thursday by receiving permission to interview former assistant coaches Norv Turner, who is San Francisco's offensive coordinator, and Gary Gibbs, who is New Orleans' defensive coordinator, although it is not known when they will meet with owner and general manager Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones.
Because he is coaching in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., Turner would not be able to interview with the Cowboys until Sunday at the earliest.
"I'm looking forward to it," Turner said. "Jerry and I have had a strong relationship for a long time, but this is not about that. It's about something else, and I know what he wants."
The only outsider to the process so far is San Diego defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who will meet with the Joneses today.
Phillips, 60, was scheduled to arrive in Dallas on Thursday night after returning to San Diego from the Senior Bowl.
"I'm excited about the opportunity," said Phillips, who has a 48-39 record as a head coach and is the son of former Houston Oilers head coach Bum Phillips. "In some ways with my dad living down on the ranch, I've always been a Cowboy I guess."
Assistant head coach Tony Sparano and secondary coach Todd Bowles, who talked with Jerry and Stephen Jones on Tuesday, could receive second interviews, but passing game coordinator Todd Haley, who was also interviewed, left Thursday to become Arizona's offensive coordinator.
Miami had given Garrett a 1 p.m. Thursday deadline to decide whether he would return as the Dolphins quarterbacks coach, but he remained at Valley Ranch until a deal was agreed upon.
"Jason is someone who is held in high regard as a bright offensive mind throughout the NFL," Jerry Jones said in a statement. "The nature and timing of this hire is unique in that we were dealing with a limited window of time in which to talk to Jason about returning to Dallas. We are grateful to the Dolphins for granting the Cowboys permission to explore this opportunity."
Should Garrett, 40, not be named head coach, it could create an awkward situation for whomever will be named coach, but Phillips said it would not be an issue for him.
"It's cool," Phillips said. "Jason is a great guy. It shouldn't be a problem. I've heard lots of good things about him."
With Garrett and Turner, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman has two of his closer friends in the mix.
"I'm obviously biased in my opinion, but I've said since before [Garrett] got into coaching that if he ever did, he'd be a head coach in a short period of time and the sky would be the limit," Aikman said.
Turner, 54, was Aikman's presenter at the Hall of Fame ceremonies last summer, and the two share a brother-like bond. Turner was the Cowboys' offensive coordinator from 1991 to '93, helping the Cowboys win two Super Bowls and mentoring Aikman in the early stages of his career.
This would be Turner's third head coaching spot after posting a 58-82-1 record with Washington and Oakland. He has remained close with the Jones family and has a track record of developing quarterbacks, which is important with Tony Romo viewed as the quarterback of the future.
Turner attempted to bring Garrett to the Raiders as an assistant coach in 2004, but Garrett continued his playing career for a year in Tampa Bay and Miami. The Redskins have had just one winning record since Turner left, and the Raiders have recently hired their third coach in as many years, Lane Kiffin.
The inclusion of Gibbs, a Beaumont, Texas, native, in the process is a surprise, although he has a deep background with the 4-3 and 3-4 defenses. He also has head coaching experience, having spent six years in that capacity at Oklahoma (1989-94) with a 44-23-2 record.
Gibbs, 54, was the Cowboys' linebackers coach from 2002 to '04. Shortly after being named New Orleans head coach last year after three seasons with the Cowboys, Sean Payton named Gibbs his defensive coordinator. A year after finishing 3-13, the Saints won the NFC South and advanced to the conference championship game, losing to Chicago.
New Orleans finished ranked 11th defensively (23rd vs. the rush, third vs. the pass) with a unit without much star power.
"I think his credentials are a lot better than people think when they look at them," said former Cowboys director of college and pro scouting Larry Lacewell, who was an assistant coach at Oklahoma when Gibbs played there. "He's been a head coach at a top Division I school and took over at about the toughest time following [Barry] Switzer. ... Everywhere he has been, he has impressed people."
Staff writers Barry Horn and Calvin Watkins contributed to this report.
NORV TURNER
Age: 54
Current job: Offensive coordinator, San Francisco
Notable: Helped develop Troy Aikman into a Hall of Fame quarterback, winning two Super Bowls in three seasons as the Cowboys offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 1991 to '93. ... Was Aikman's presenter at the Hall of Fame ceremony. ... Previous jobs include head coach for Oakland and Washington and offensive coordinator for Miami and San Diego. ... His lone experience as a defensive coach came in 1980 when he coached Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, Dennis Smith and current Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher at Southern Cal.
GARY GIBBS
Age: 54
Gary Gibbs is the Saints' defensive coordinator.
Current job: Defensive coordinator, New Orleans
Notable: Was Cowboys linebackers coach from 2002 to '04. ... A standout linebacker at Oklahoma from 1972-74 when the Sooners posted a 32-1-1 record and finished No. 1 in the nation in 1974. ... Went to training camp with New England as a free agent in 1975. ... Began his coaching career in 1975 as a graduate assistant and remained at the school through 1994. ... Was the OU linebackers coach and defensive coordinator before taking over for Barry Switzer in 1989. ... Posted a 44-23-2 record, guiding Sooners to three bowl games in six years. ... Worked as LSU's defensive coordinator in 2001 under Nick Saban. ... Beaumont, Texas, native played football and baseball at Spring Branch High School.
