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Even during the drubbing delivered to the Dallas Cowboys by the Packers in their playoff game on Sunday afternoon, the calls were growing for coach Mike McCarthy to be fired by the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones, with what many saw as a natural fit lurking in the background—former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who left New England just three days earlier. If, indeed, the Cowboys need a sterner hand to take the wheel as the head coach, the mirthless Belichick might be ideal.
At least on the surface. For Hall of Fame tight end and notable sport talker Shannon Sharpe, though, a pairing of Belichick and Jones would be a disaster. Belichick is as known for his disdain and reticence with the media as Jones is known for his camera-seeking garrulousness. There’s a bit of an oil-and-water dynamic there.
Asked whether it would be a natural fit, Sharpe said on ESPN Monday morning, “Hell no. Do you not understand that Bill Belichick wants authority? Can you imagine Jerry Jones trying to hold a press conference and tell what’s going on with the team? And you think coach Belichick is going to sit by—idly by—and let Jerry do that? Absolutely not, it would the worst—it’s a match made in hell. You couldn’t pick a worse match than Jerry Jones and Bill Belichick.”
Bill Belichick & Jerry Jones Have ‘Solid Relationship’
Certainly, there is some logic there from Sharpe. But on the flip side, there is the notion that Belichick already knows well Jones’ history and personality, and would not take the job unless he was comfortable with the owner being a consistent media presence.
That was the sentiment expressed by NFL Insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, who wrote on Twitter during the Cowboys’ meltdown: “Bill Belichick has, quietly in recent years, through doing football business and attending owners meetings, built a very solid relationship with both Jerry and Stephen Jones. Things might be getting pretty interesting here.”
So we can presume that Belichick would know what he is getting into if McCarthy were fired and he were to take the Cowboys job. He’d have to be willing to let Jerry Jones be Jerry Jones, and focus on the coaching. There’s no way Belichick would take the job unless he was comfortable with that.
Cowboys’ Talent Could Prove Too Enticing
That’s where any reservations that Belichick might have about the Cowboys and Jones would probably be outweighed by the sheer talent on the roster. Whatever Belichick does next, he is going to want to be in position to win quickly—he is 71 after all, and is not much interested in a long rebuilding process. The Cowboys had the No. 4 defense and No. 4 offense in the NFL last year. They’re ready to win.
They just need a strong coach with a history of postseason success. That’s Belichick. But Sharpe said the history that Jones has with strong coaches is too much to overcome.
“There’s a reason (Jones) got rid of Jimmy Johnson, he got rid of Bill Parcells,” Sharpe said. “You understand, Belichick learned under Parcells. Jimmy and coach Belichick and coach Parcells are more in line. Once he got rid of Parcells, what has he done? Hired the Chan Gaileys, hired the Dave Campbells, hired the Jason Garretts, hired Mike McCarthy—he don’t want that type of coach.
“He wants to be able to do everything. He wants to be the face of it.”
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