Jason Garrett was the belle of the offseason ball in 2008 after an explosive season running the Dallas Cowboys' offense. Garrett virtually had his choice of jobs and met with the Baltimore Ravens about their vacant head-coaching position.
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The presence of general manager Ozzie Newsome, defensive coordinator Rex Ryan and a strong defense made Baltimore one of the best open coaching destinations in years. Garrett was the Ravens' top choice, but he decided to take a bump in pay and stay in Dallas under Wade Phillips. The Ravens hired John Harbaugh and have been happy about it ever since. (So have their fans.)
Garrett says (of course) that he would do it all over again.
"We certainly have no regrets, and I'm sure the Ravens don't have any regrets either," Garrett said, via the Dallas Morning News. "They've done a great job. Since that time, John Harbaugh has done a fantastic job with that team. They are one of the elite franchises in the league."
Garrett's offenses have not looked well coached for much of his tenure in Dallas since then. There are too many mental mistakes, turnovers and penalties. Harbaugh is 48-21 with five playoff wins since taking the Ravens job. Garrett is 15-13 since taking over for Phillips in Dallas.
The Ravens set their coach up for success with great work in player personnel and a clearly defined power structure. Football matters above all. The last Cowboys coach to consistently find success quit after a power struggle with Jerry Jones.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
