Dallas Cowboys' focus on coaching vacancies
By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News
cwatkins@dallasnews.com
MOBILE, Ala. – Wade Phillips left the Senior Bowl on Wednesday with more work to do regarding his coaching staff.
Phillips, who needs to fill coaching vacancies at secondary, linebacker and defensive line, talked to several coaches about those jobs the last two days.
But the Cowboys were denied permission to interview Atlanta secondary coach Emmitt Thomas, who was elevated to assistant head coach Wednesday when Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mike Smith was named head coach of the Falcons.
"I worked with him before, and it was a natural deal," Phillips said of Thomas, who was born in Angleton, Texas, and has 28 years of coaching experience.
It's the second time in the last two months that Atlanta and Dallas have discussed personnel matters.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, a prominent Arkansas booster, spoke on behalf of the school to Atlanta owner Arthur Blank to gauge the interest of then-Falcons coach Bobby Petrino on a possible return to college.
Petrino left Atlanta for the Arkansas head coaching job in December with three games remaining in the regular season. When Petrino left, Thomas was named the interim head coach.
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