IRVING, Texas (Jan. 29, 2007) -- Add Mike Singletary to the list of candidates to become head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Hall of Fame linebacker will interview Jan. 30 with team owner Jerry Jones. He'll become the eighth candidate considered to replace Bill Parcells.
Best known for his ferocious play with the Chicago Bears, Singletary is a Houston native who played college football at Baylor. He has been coaching in the NFL since 2003, spending two years with Baltimore and the past two with the San Francisco 49ers.
Another 49ers assistant, offensive coordinator Norv Turner, has been viewed as the front-runner in Dallas, but he returned to the Bay Area following his interview Jan. 28.
The Cowboys already have hired Jason Garrett and are considering him for the head coaching job or likely will make him offensive coordinator. Defensive coordinators Wade Phillips of San Diego and Gary Gibbs of New Orleans also are being considered.
Jones also has talked to three members of Parcells' staff, including Todd Bowles, who is black, thus fulfilling the league requirement for a minority candidate.
Singletary, 48, retired after the 1992 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. He spent his post-playing days doing motivational speaking, writing books and co-founding a company that provides leadership training, then got into coaching in 2003.
After failing to land the head coaching job at Baylor, Singletary was hired by Baltimore and spent two seasons guiding the inside linebackers. Mike Nolan was the team's defensive coordinator and when he became the head coach in San Francisco, Singletary followed. He was assistant head coach for linebackers, then named assistant head coach for defense last season.
Parcells resigned Jan. 22, ending a four-year run in which he went 34-32 and failed to win a playoff game over four seasons.
The Cowboys lost four of their last five games this past season, with defense the weak link.
Jones might not hold a lack of NFL head coaching experience against Singletary; Parcells was the first coach in club history with that on his résumé. All five head coaches NFL teams have hired this offseason are first-timers.
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