Cowboys owner fired Phillips on Monday, a day after the disgraced Cowboys in a 45-7 loss to the Packers and less than a year after Phillips was given a two-year extension to lead the Cowboys to its first playoff victory in more than a decade.
Dallas is 1-7 and will not be easy for this Sunday when they play the red-hot Giants in the New Meadowlands Stadium. Two weeks ago, Kod Giants Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo of the season with a broken collarbone in the 41-35 defeat.
"A coaching change this season is not something I've done before, something that was reluctant to do so as recently as last week," said Jones. "But I think the best for the organization and the fans is a coaching change."
Phillips will be replaced on an interim basis by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who in 2008 rejected the Ravens and Falcons head coaching job to stay in Dallas. Garrett was always considered the natural successor to Phillips, but not under these circumstances.
"I think Jason has the temperament, disposition, to affect culture change," said Jones. "I think this is important."
Garrett, who once was the backup quarterback Troy Aikman in Dallas, also backup Kerry Collins in the Giants team that went to the Super Bowl after the 2000 season.
Jones also announced that Paul Pasqualoni, who was the coach of the defensive line, will be the new Cowboys defensive coordinator, a role also filled Phillips.
"I'm disappointed in the results of this season to this point, but I'm also very proud of what our team and our players out in the last three years," Phillips said in a statement. "In good times and difficult times, our players stuck together and never lost control of their belief in themselves and the strong team bond they have shared. Relatives and football coaches have always defined my life and will always be grateful for my experiences here with the Dallas Cowboys. "
The Cowboys is their worst start since the first year of Jones owner of the club in 1989 when Dallas finished 1-15, but Jones and Jimmy Johnson had inherited the worst team in the league of Tom Landry. This year, the Cowboys were a popular preseason choice to reach the Super Bowl, to be played in the year-old Jones $ 1,200,000,000 Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on Feb. 6. However, the Cowboys opened the season with losses to the Redskins and the Bears never recovered.
Last year, the Cowboys finished strong in the regular season and then defeated the Eagles in round wildcard playoff victory for the first time since 1996. But they lost 34-3 in the divisional round of the Vikings.
Phillips, 63, took over for Bill Parcells in 2007 and ends with a 35-23 record in the regular season and a playoff mark of 1-2. Phillips' contract runs through the 2011 season. This is the first time that Jones has fired a coach in the middle of the season last Friday asked Phillips if he would coach for the rest of the season, he said, "yes."
But after the Packers brutal loss, Jones said someone would pay.
"There are many people here that are certainly going to suffer and suffer the consequences," said Jones. "I am speaking on the team - players, coaches who have careers This is certainly a setback I know first hand what it is to have high expectations ..."
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