IRVING – Growing up near Houston, Mike Singletary was a Cowboys fan.
When the Cowboys lost, he was angry. When they won, he was the happiest guy in the house.
On Tuesday, Singletary made his bid to become head coach of the Cowboys when he interviewed with owner/general manager Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones at the team's Valley Ranch complex.
"Watching the Cowboys when I was a kid, that's one of the few things that I would fight over," said Singletary, San Francisco's assistant head coach. "If the Cowboys didn't win, I was not a guy you wanted to talk to."
Singletary, a former standout linebacker at Baylor and with the Chicago Bears, became the eighth person to interview for the job vacated when Bill Parcells retired last week. There is no timetable for a hire, but Jerry Jones is scheduled to leave for Miami, site of Super Bowl XLI, on Thursday.
Singletary joins Norv Turner, the 49ers offensive coordinator, as two candidates from the same team.
"It is one of those things, but it is interesting," Singletary said.
Last week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., Singletary and Turner talked about the Cowboys job. Turner arranged his interview for Sunday. Singletary wasn't sure he would get one.
"I must admit, we were at the all-star game, and we're coaching, and I'm listening to the process," Singletary said. "I did not know if I would get a call or not. But when I did, I was very pleased. Not really surprised, but pleased that I got the call."
After Turner's interview, Jones appeared finished talking to candidates. But the Cowboys asked for and were granted permission to talk to Singletary.
San Francisco coach Mike Nolan thinks very highly of Singletary. When Nolan was hired in 2005, Singletary was the first person he attempted to hire as an assistant coach. Nolan said he considers Singletary a leader and allows him to speak to the team on Thursdays.
Singletary commands respect in the locker room because he's considered one of the NFL's greatest linebackers. In 1998, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
His interview with the Cowboys has raised questions about the team trying to avoid criticism concerning the "Rooney Rule," which mandates that teams interview one minority candidate for a head coaching vacancy.
Atlanta general manager Rich McKay said the rule has allowed teams to expand their pool of candidates and not rush the process of hiring a coach.
Last week, Dallas interviewed secondary coach Todd Bowles, an African-American, for about 3 ½ hours. The NFL said Bowles' interview satisfied the rule.
"There are a number of other African-Americans out there that could have gotten this call and did not," Singletary said. "And for me, it's just one of those things that goes along with the territory. If every time somebody called, you sit back and go 'Well, I wonder if this is a Rooney Rule?' For me, every time I have the opportunity to have an interview, I feel very blessed and privileged to have it, and I make the most of the opportunity and I go from there."
It should be noted that three coaches outside of the organization who interviewed – Gary Gibbs, Wade Phillips and Turner – talked to Jason Garrett and Parcells. Garrett was hired by the Cowboys last week in some sort of offensive capacity. Sources said he'll become the offensive coordinator. Parcells spoke with candidates about the personnel.
Singletary said he did not speak to Garrett or Parcells during his interview.
Singletary said when he interviewed for the Atlanta job that eventually went to Bobby Petrino, he contacted Garrett about becoming an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
"I though it was a very good conversation," Singletary said of Tuesday's interview. "I wouldn't call it an interview. It was more of a conversation of really trying to get to know each other and find out what the strengths and weakness are on both sides and begin to move forward."
