Cowboys Sources: The 4 Reasons for the Coach Marvin Lewis Interview
FRISCO - The Jason Garrett era is coming to a close, with the Dallas Cowboys spending Saturday interviewing former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis.
But those two interviews, which could just be the tip of the iceberg in Dallas' search, have slightly different tones, sources tell CowboysSI.com.
Neither is a "brain-picking'' session, one high-placed source tells us. But while the McCarthy visit is all about his candidacy to return to the NFL as a head coach, the Lewis visit - which we believe may have already occurred - might be a different beast.
In talking to multiple sources inside The Star, the four reasons for Dallas' interview with Marvin Lewis:
1. While it might not be a "brain-picking'' session, Lewis is a teacher. As the Bengals' head coach from 2003-18, he supervised a massive turnaround, taking arguably the NFL's poorest program and making them a perennial playoff contender.
Most recently, he's served as an advisor to Herm Edwards at Arizona State. At 61, Lewis is a teacher. And maybe the Joneses have a lot to learn.
2. The Rooney Rule requires NFL teams to include in their interview processes a visit with a minority candidate. Taking nothing away from Dallas defensive coordinator Kris Richard's visit with the Giants or Lewis' presence here, this is a reality in the system.
3. There is value in getting to know candidates who aren't part of "the Cowboys circle.'' And there is value in dealing with people who can be trusted. (Jerry Jones remains haunted by Jimmy Johnson's quarter-of-a-century-old betrayal.) Marvin Lewis is both. He has no ties to Dallas or the Cowboys ... but he is friendly with Stephen Jones due to their tenure serving together on the NFL's important Competition Committee.
4. Lewis' greatest achievements arguably came before he became a head coach, when he was the Ravens defensive coordinator. In 2000, Lewis oversaw a unit that was historically dominant, allowing an average of just 10.3 points per game on the way Baltimore's victory over New York in Super Bowl XXXV.
Lewis interviewing for a job as the Dallas Cowboys head coach? Maybe. The same interview serving as an application to be the Cowboys' defensive coordinator under an as-yet-to-be-determined head coach? That makes even more sense.
