The worst kept coaching carousel secret was made official today. Jerry Jones officially named Jason Garrett head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, removing the interim label from his title.
Garrett was originally hired by the Cowboys in January 2007 as offensive coordinator. The following year, Garrett received a significant raise making him the highest paid NFL assistant, leading many to believe he was the head coach in waiting.
Garrett finally received an opportunity to be the head coach of the Cowboys this season when Wade Phillips was fired after a 1-7 start to the season. Garrett went 5-3 as interim head coach of the Cowboys, leading Dallas to a 6-10 record to finish the season. The effort from Garrett was good enough for Jerry Jones to remove the interim label from Garrett’s title.
The next test of Garrett’s abilities as a head coach will be in the coming months and culminating in April with the 2011 NFL Draft, when the Cowboys select ninth overall.