With reports circulating Tuesday the Ravens offered Dallas offensive coordinatorJason Garrett their head coaching position, he left the team?s Owings Mills complex yesterday employed by the Cowboys.
The team and Garrett refused to confirm if it made the 41-year-old an offer to become the third head coach in franchise history.
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Garrett spent nearly seven hours with Ravens officials during his second interview before leaving to board a plane at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Garrett is a candidate for the Atlanta Falcons? head coaching job, and it is believed Arthur Blank, the team?s owner, will make him an offer that trumps the Ravens?.
“It was a great day,” Garrett said. “I had a chance to start this process last week during our bye week. I had a great visit then. I was excited to come and visit again. I had a chance to visit [owner] Steve Bisciotti, [general manager] Ozzie [Newsome] and [team president] Dick Cass? a little bit [Monday] night and then I really had a productive day today.”
For a good portion of the day, it appeared the man who steered the Cowboys? third-ranked offense this season would replace Brian Billick, who was fired on Dec. 31. The Cowboys ended their season with a loss to the New York Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs on Sunday.
But Tuesday was filled with twists and turns.
Garrett arrived at the complex shortly before 10 a.m. with his wife, Brill, and was greeted by Cass. During the interview, Cass? wife and another team employee took Garrett?s wife on a tour of the community.
In the early part of the afternoon, ESPN reported Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had alerted Garrett he was prepared to counter the Ravens? offer, short of firing head coach Wade Phillips.
Newsome declined to comment when asked about the day with Garrett, saying instead that he had to prepare for a scouting trip for this Saturday?s East-West Shrine Game, a college football All-Star game, at the University of Houston.
Newsome is expected to attend practice today for the game on Saturday.
The Ravens appear ready to turn their attention to other candidates. Kevin Byrne, the team?s senior vice president of public and community relations, said the team had scheduled a second round of interviews for later this week.
Byrne did not confirm who was on the list, but Philadelphia secondary coach John Harbaugh impressed the team?s search committee during his interview last week.
He could return to the complex as early as Thursday.
Former Cleveland Browns and San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer also might re-enter the picture. But, Schottenheimer?s agent said Tuesday his client is content with retirement.
Garrett left the complex saying he would, “continue through this process that I?m in right now. At some point, we?ll make some decisions on both sides.”
Garrett was expected to interview in Atlanta at some point Tuesday for its head coaching vacancy, but could be destined for more talks with Jones in Dallas.
Former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan also is in contention for the Falcons? job Tuesday after a second interview in Atlanta, but he returned to the Ravens? Owings Mills complex later in the day without an offer.
mpalmer@baltimoreexaminer.com
