TallySaint

Dallas' Gibbs reportedly interviews

Cowboys LB coach looks like Saints' favorite to run defense



Saturday, January 21, 2006
By Mike Triplett
Staff writer Times Picayune



Onetime LSU defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs interviewed for the Saints' defensive coordinator position Friday, according to league sources.

Gibbs, who spent the past four years as the Dallas Cowboys' linebackers coach, is the apparent front-runner for the job, but no contract has been offered, sources said. Gibbs worked with new coach Sean Payton on the Cowboys' staff for the past three seasons.

Payton was unavailable for comment.

Gibbs reportedly signed a one-year contract extension with the Cowboys this month but would be allowed to leave if offered the job.

Gibbs, 53, has never been an NFL coordinator and has only been an assistant coach in the league for four years. He was the Oklahoma Sooners' head coach from 1989 to '94, then took six years off before serving as a defensive coordinator at Georgia in 2000 and LSU in 2001. The Tigers won the SEC championship game and the Sugar Bowl that season under second-year head coach Nick Saban.

Gibbs then joined the Cowboys' staff in 2002 under former head coach Dave Campo. He was retained, along with defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and others, when Bill Parcells became Dallas' coach in 2003.

Gibbs has earned solid reviews coaching a linebacker corps that is considered one of the Cowboys' strengths. Last month he interviewed for the Texas A&M defensive coordinator job, but he reportedly turned it down.

The Cowboys switched from a 4-3 defensive alignment to a 3-4 defense in 2005. It is unknown which defense Payton and Gibbs would prefer if Gibbs is hired in New Orleans.

The Saints' new head coach is expected to bring in his own coordinators, but he had planned to speak with all of the remaining Saints assistants to consider them for jobs on his staff.

According to a CBS report, Saban has been in touch with incumbent Saints defensive coordinator Rick Venturi about a position on his staff with the Miami Dolphins.

Venturi, who still is in San Antonio recovering from postseason hip surgery, was unavailable for comment Friday. But he said Wednesday that he has been in touch with some coaching associates around the league.


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