Rarely if ever does a head coach become a free agent. Rarely if ever does a free-agent head coach find a high demand for his services elsewhere. Usually, it’s because the free-agent coach is a free agent for a reason.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, whose contract expires after the season, could be the most desirable lame duck to ever hit the market. With 11 wins and a division title while working under General Manager Jerry Jones, why isn’t Garrett showing up on the short list for other teams?
Sure, Garrett generated mediocre results during his first three years on the job, struggling at times to juggle the micro of play calling and the macro of, you know, not icing his own kicker with a time out. But Garrett has found his way in 2014 (he no longer calls the plays on offense), presiding over a team that arguably has exceeded expectations more than any other -- which should put Garrett in line for coach of the year consideration.
But Garrett isn’t being mentioned as a candidate for looming or possible vacancies in San Francisco, Oakland, New York (Jets or Giants, though a Tom Coughlin termination seems like likely), Chicago, and Atlanta. Maybe it’s the perception that Garrett doesn’t want to leave Dallas. Maybe it’s the belief that there’s already a wink-nod extension in place. Or maybe he’s just not getting the credit he deserves.
Every year, the coordinators of the best teams land on the A- or B-list for coaching vacancies. Shouldn’t the head coaches of the best teams be there, too, in those rarest of circumstances when the head coach of one of the best teams has a contract that’s about to expire?