The guys behind a franchise coach

By Os Davis  |   Wednesday, June 07, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

Dallas Cowboys
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More so than other major sports, football is a game that is controlled by coaches. Meanwhile, the term "franchise player" is bandied about everywhere fans congregate, whether they're watching baseball, basketball, soccer, football ... and certainly, the phrase extends to cricket and rugby and probably even curling as well.

Well, football fans, meet the franchise coach.

The franchise player can make or break the fortunes of a team; he's known for contributing a clutch play or a solid game-long effort; he's the one who gets the poster shots. The franchise coach, on the other hand, is called upon to contribute essentially 365/24/7. He never sits on the bench, in on every play. He's on offense, defense and special teams. And though he physically contributes nothing, the gridiron action revolves around him. We're talking here about guys like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, Bill Belichick and, of course, Bill Parcells.

Moreover, football is such a team effort that even coaching requires the support of thirteen guys behind the chief (in the Dallas Cowboys' case). These unheralded men fill the role of the blue-collar dudes throwing bodies out of the way of the franchise player. They get no flashbulb glare or autograph requests, but just as the franchise coach can make or break a team, an assistant coach can make or break a head coach. A look, then, at the brains behind the brain of Tuna Bill Parcells.

Bruce DeHaven is the special teams coach, a fellow with a fascinating résumé that shows both his skills and his general misfortune. At the top of the list of DeHaven trivia is his infamy as the special teams coach for those Buffalo Bills who heartbreakingly fell to Scott Norwood and the Music City Miracle (the latter of which perhaps unfairly got him fired two days later). Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time...DeHaven also served with three teams in the three years of the USFL's existence and later did a three-year tour of duty with the San Francisco 49ers before coming to Dallas in 2003.

DeHaven has been called one of the great special teams coaches in the league and has been credited with fostering classic talents Mark Pike and Steve Tasker. Since his joining the team, DeHaven has composed a solid if not spectacular special teams squad. As long as he remembers to bring a rabbit's foot (or maybe the whole dang rabbit) with him should the Cowboys make the playoffs this year, everything will be peachy on special teams.

Quarterbacks coach David Lee came aboard with Parcells in 2003, making Dallas the first professional team he's worked for. That doesn't mean Lee is any spring chicken, though. Lee toured the NCAA over the first twenty-seven years of his career, doing time at Tennessee-Martin, alma mater Vanderbilt, Mississippi, New Mexico, Arkansas, UTEP (where he was head coach for five seasons) and Rice.

As QB coach for the Cowboys, Lee has done what he can with the tools given him, a list that pre-Bledsoe includes Quincy Carter, "Vinterception" Testaverde and a dash of Drew Henson. His current starter has given Lee a bit of breathing room, as "Statman" Bledsoe is essentially a wind-him-up-and-let-him-go QB. Parcells has spoken often of his plans to be more conservative with Bledsoe, though, and Lee will have to sort through the triad of QBs he has now plus untold undrafted free agents to create the depth chart for the near future.

The head coach - even the franchise coach - has a right-hand man or two: the offensive and defensive coordinator. Tuna's right hand man is Mike Zimmer, a mainstay in the Lone Star State since arriving in 1994 to take his first NFL job. Zimmer worked with the passing defense for six seasons (including the last Cowboy championship in Super Bowl XXX) before becoming defensive coordinator in 2000.

Zimmer helped preserve a respectable D during the Campo era, getting as high as 13th in total defense. The following year, Parcells replaced Campo, gave Zimmer a little leeway with the new game plan. The defense that year? No lower than no. 2 overall. Zimmer also appears to be allowed a goodly amount of input with regard to draft picks. Zimmer products include LB DeMarcus Ware, LB Brodie James, safety Roy Williams and, sadly for Dallas, DT La'Roi Glover. This year, he's got young 'uns like first-round draft pick LB Bobby Carpenter and third-rounder DE Jason Hatcher to mold.

With a bevy of free agent signings and a veteran coaching staff, franchise coach Parcells may be ready to break out in the open and get the Dallas Cowboys in the tournament. After that, all he'll have to do is find a franchise voodoo priest to purify DeHaven's mojo.

More thoughts on the Dallas Cowboys brain trust on Realfootball365.com
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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