Cowboys may be waiting for Bears' Rivera

*RamsFan4ever* · #1 (**permalink**) -02-02-2007

Cowboys may be waiting for Bears' Rivera

NFL.com wire reports

MIAMI (Feb. 1, 2007) -- Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera may have a job opportunity after the Super Bowl -- as coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Rivera, interviewed for several head coaching jobs the past two seasons, reportedly has emerged as the latest candidate to replace Bill Parcells in Dallas.

"I haven't talked to anybody in Dallas," Rivera said at the team hotel. "Nobody has told me anything."

Rivera said his wife called him after practice Jan. 31 and informed him of the report on ESPN.com. The report also said that leading candidate Norv Turner told Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that if he got the job he'd want Rivera as defensive coordinator.

"That's something I'd address if it ever came to fruition," Rivera said when asked about moving to the Cowboys as a coordinator. "Right now, I can't tell you because I don't know anything. It's kind of frustrating because nobody has told me anything."

Coaches of teams in the game are off limits for job interviews until Feb, 5.

The Bears play the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.

Last year, Rivera was a candidate for head coaching jobs with the Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Rams. And this season, he was a contender for jobs with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons.

"I don't want to be a distraction," Rivera said.

Jones said he wouldn't name Parcells' replacement until after the Super Bowl. He already has interviewed eight candidates.

"We've got a good football team, and I've got to get this right," Jones said. "We've got to make a good decision when we select the next coach. We're going to have the opportunity and a plan in place that will allow us to do that."

**Nick** · #2 (**permalink**) -02-02-2007

Quote:

Rivera said his wife called him after practice Jan. 31 and informed him of the report on ESPN.com. The report also said that leading candidate Norv Turner told Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that if he got the job he'd want Rivera as defensive coordinator.

Why in the world would Rivera make a lateral move to Dallas when he's on a Super Bowl coaching staff? That makes no sense.

As for him becoming the head coach in Dallas, I'm skeptical of that as well. Defensively he's either going to have to take a crash course in the 3-4 or find some way to convert Dallas' defense to the scheme he'd want to run.

*Drew* · #3 (**permalink**) -02-02-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick

Why in the world would Rivera make a lateral move to Dallas when he's on a Super Bowl coaching staff? That makes no sense.

my thoughts exactly!!!

As for him becoming the head coach in Dallas, I'm skeptical of that as well. Defensively he's either going to have to take a crash course in the 3-4 or find some way to convert Dallas' defense to the scheme he'd want to run.

well i had a dream a few weeks back that rivera became head coach of the cowboys( before parcells retired btw) and he made me his OC now ive not had any phonecalls yet but im thinking the rest of the dream could come true,i agree that maybe the fact that cowboys play a 3-4 and bears play a 4-3 could mean trouble but didnt haslett play a 3-4 in pittsburgh then a 4-3 in new orleans and now in st.louis?

*Bar-bq* · #4 (**permalink**) -02-02-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew

well i had a dream a few weeks back that rivera became head coach of the cowboys( before parcells retired btw) and he made me his OC now ive not had any phonecalls yet but im thinking the rest of the dream could come true,i agree that maybe the fact that cowboys play a 3-4 and bears play a 4-3 could mean trouble but didnt haslett play a 3-4 in pittsburgh then a 4-3 in new orleans and now in st.louis?

You mean the same Jim Haslett whose 4-3 St.Louis defense finished 31st in the league in stopping the run?

*Drew* · #5 (**permalink**) -02-02-2007

well thats just the run D our pass D improved!
plus Dallas have a much better pool of talent on D than we do and Rivera is a better coach than Haslett IMHO!

my point was coaches that are any good can play more than one system!

**laram0** · #6 (**permalink**) -02-02-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick

Why in the world would Rivera make a lateral move to Dallas when he's on a Super Bowl coaching staff? That makes no sense.

As for him becoming the head coach in Dallas, I'm skeptical of that as well. Defensively he's either going to have to take a crash course in the 3-4 or find some way to convert Dallas' defense to the scheme he'd want to run.

Also didn't he interview with alot of teams last year to no avail? Somethings up with this guy?

*BigGameMN* · #7 (**permalink**) -02-02-2007

This is surprising me. When Parcells left all I heard was that Jerry Jones was committed to the 3-4 and would hire a coach who runs the 3-4. Now it seems that's all gone to the wayside. I'll tell you if Jones hires somebody who is going to change the Dallas D around it'll be a stupid stupid move. They've got a lot of talent on that team and it's built to be a 3-4. People can bash Parcells all they want but he did a heck of a job building that D and to go messing with it would be ignorant. If they could just find a better SS then Woodson they would be a top 5 D.

**Nick** · #8 (**permalink**) -02-02-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew

i agree that maybe the fact that cowboys play a 3-4 and bears play a 4-3 could mean trouble but didnt haslett play a 3-4 in pittsburgh then a 4-3 in new orleans and now in st.louis?

Well, here's my concern. Though they didn't last long in the post-season, it doesn't change the fact that the Cowboys were a playoff team this year. Is this really the right time for this team to bring in a coach that might want to blow up the defense and change philosophies?

Now, if Rivera is going to come in and keep the same defense going, that changes things. But I don't know enough about Rivera to know whether or not he's that flexible.