OXNARD, Calif. — Jerry Jones wants Jason Garrett to be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys beyond 2019, but the owner and general manager did not say what Garrett has to do to earn an extension.
“There’s no secret that the guy to my right here, I want to be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for as long as I’m around to spell it,” Jones said during Friday’s state of the Cowboys press conference. “That would be my goal — and that’s no secret, and many of you have written about it in various ways, so let’s see what’s ahead.”
When pressed as to what Garrett would have to do, Jones demurred.
“What did you say,” Jones joked. “I really didn’t hear you. I really didn’t hear you. There’s a drill going on back over there. Next question.”
Garrett does not have a contract beyond the 2019 season. The Cowboys did not approach Garrett’s agents regarding a contract extension in the offseason, preferring to make him coach for his job that way they did in 2014.
The Cowboys went 12-4 that year and won a playoff game. A week after their season ended Garrett signed a five-year, $30 million contract extension.
Last season, the Cowboys went 10-6, rebounding from a 3-4 start by winning seven of their final nine games to clinch their second division title in three seasons. The Cowboys lost in the divisional round to the eventual NFC champion Los Angeles Rams and have not played in a conference title game since 1995.
“I expect us to be a better team, and I think that our personnel supports that,” Jones said. “Our experience gained supports that. I’m real impressed with the staff that Jason has put together here. So I expect us to be better. Part of that, it should result in maybe advancing our record, or if you will, our place in the playoffs — it should result in that. That’s the assumption you make, that if you’re a better team and you’ve put together a sound one that can stay healthy, then you should be able to do better than you did last year.”