- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 120,136
By Calvin Watkins 2h ago
Kris Richard doesn’t sound worried. The Cowboys defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator still wants to become an NFL head coach. He just has to wait. Last year, Richard interviewed with Miami, Tampa Bay and New York Jets. All three chose someone else.
He doesn’t have any regrets about what happened because the Cowboys continue to value him. But he also isn’t shy about expressing his belief that they made the wrong choice.
“They’re going to make whatever decision they’re going to make,” Richard told The Athletic. “At the end of the day, all of that stuff is out of my control. So really, I’m not focused on it. People make mistakes every day. They want to make a mistake, in my opinion, but they choose who they choose and they’re going to choose who they think is best for their organization. I don’t know what the narrative is. I go in there, I lay my best out and Lord knows what people are saying about me.
“Quite honestly, I don’t care. I know what I offer, I know who I am, I have firm validity in who I am, and if they’re threatened by it or intimidated by it, then I can’t stop that.”
When the 2018 season ended, Cowboys officials and players raved about what Richard brought in his first year with the club. He transformed the team’s defensive backs into an aggressive group that played more man-to-man defense. Richard’s influence prompted defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli to put his own ego aside and give Richard control over the blitz calls. The change was noticeable. According to Sportradar, the Cowboys blitzed on just 23.4% of third downs in 2017, resulting in 16 sacks. In 2018, with Richard at the controls, those numbers climbed to 32.5% and 21. It’s a byproduct of Richard’s time as defensive coordinator in Seattle, where the famed Legion of Boom defense placed pressure on the quarterback using quick, athletic defenders and tall, physical corners to match up with wide receivers of similar build.
That’s not the only area where Richard’s influence has been felt. Jerry Jones requested Richard remain in the war room the entire draft, something that never happened when he ran the defense in Seattle. His feedback was paramount when the Cowboys were evaluating safeties and corners in the draft. Richard’s opinion was also taken into account when the team decided between defensive tackle Trysten Hill and safety Juan Thornhill for its second-round pick. Richard ultimately agreed with Marinelli that selecting Hill was the best play.
“I like to have him in every meeting, I really would,” Jerry Jones said of Richard. “I think he’s outstanding, and I’m glad we got him and glad we got him back and very impressed with him. He’s got a good vision. He energizes the players, and he energizes his associates.”
The sight of Richard in the war room was significant. It demonstrated that the Cowboys value his opinion, but it also provided him visibility as someone who has a voice in the organization. That can translate to better, more vocal support for Richard’s next round of head coaching interviews. Simply put, being part of a winning team and having an NFL owner or head coach speak up helps. This spring, when Brian Flores was hired by the Dolphins, Patriots coach Bill Belichick spent nearly two hours on the phone with John Wooten, the then-chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance. Wooten’s group provides names to NFL teams on the next wave of minority coaches that should be considered for head coaching jobs.
Still, Richard said he doesn’t expect Jones to speak up for him. He believes his work should do the talking.
“It will happen when it happens,” he said. “I’m not going to go out there and parade myself. I’m not counting on anybody else to march and parade and come out (and speak for me).”
There were all sorts of disappointments when Richard didn’t get a head coaching job. This offseason, there were eight NFL vacancies and seven went to white men. It raised concerns with Wooten and other minority coaches they were being ignored, as well as the possibility that the Rooney Rule, which mandates NFL teams to interview at least one minority coach, needed a tweak. In 2018, the NFL had tied its high mark with eight minority head coaches. Now the league has just four: Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh), Ron Rivera (Carolina), Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles Chargers) and Flores.
“I try not to get caught up in it because we can’t,” Richard said. “We can’t get caught up in it. It is what it is at this point. What are we going to do about it?”
That wasn’t the only area where Richard didn’t fit the mold of head coaching hires. While Flores ran New England’s defense and longtime defensive guru Vic Fangio landed the head coaching gig in Denver, six of this offseason’s eight new head coaches have a background on the offensive side of the ball. It raises questions about whether the burden of proof for defensive coaches is higher than before in an increasingly offense-centric game.
For now, at least, Richard is back in Dallas. He’s staying in the same role, too, after initial speculation that Marinelli would consider retiring proved to be short-lived. Consequently, everyone’s titles and responsibilities on the defensive side of the ball remain unchanged. Richard says he’s at peace with the outcome, adding that (he’s) “not a title hunter.”
But he also hasn’t taken his eye off the chance to one day run his own team. He’s just waiting for the organization that values what he brings to the table.
“I’m here to give my best, and I’m here to help train these men and help build these men,” he said. “If you want that, you’re looking for that, you’re looking for leadership – then, okay, here I am. If you’re not looking for that, or you think somebody else is going to provide it better, then you pick somebody else.”
The Cowboys are happy that, so far, other teams have done exactly that. Richard is biding his time until, finally, one doesn’t.
