With Dave Campo and Hudson Houck out, what does that mean for the Dallas Cowboys' coaching changes for 2012? Well, the big name joining the Dallas staff is Bill Callahan, who will not only take over as offensive line coach but is also now the new offensive coordinator.
Callahan will hold that title in name only.
As I mentioned in an earlier column, Dallas lost out on Tony Sparano since Jason Garrett refuses to give up his play calling responsibilities. This means that, despite Callahan replacing Garrett as offensive coordinator, it is only in name because Garrett will continue to play the role of coordinator as far as everything is said and done during the games.
Since Dallas was the second leading offense in the NFL in Garrett's first year as coordinator in 2007, they have dropped in recent years, only hitting the Top 10 once and finished as the 15th ranked offense in 2011. I assume that Callahan's main duties will mainly be working with the offensive line.
Now, the defense is another question. While Rob Ryan will remain the defensive coordinator, his assistants are in transition right now. Secondary coach Dave Campo is headed to college, where he will serve as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach for the Kansas Jayhawks under new head coach Charlie Weis.
The other secondary coach, Brett Maxie, might also be on his way out. Maxie has served on the Dallas Cowboys' staff since 2008 but interviewed with the Tennessee Titans for their secondary coaching position. It would be a similar role to the one he held in Dallas and the Cowboys also made him an offer to remain on their staff as well.
Maxie now must decide if he will stay in Dallas or move to Tennessee. In Tennessee, he would coach the entire secondary.
In Dallas, Maxie would still serve alongside Jerome Henderson in the secondary. Dallas hired Henderson to replace Campo after Henderson served with Rob Ryan for the Cleveland Browns in 2009 and 2010. Dallas tried to hire him along with Ryan but he could not get out of his contract with the Browns.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys' fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys' related news, good or bad
