There will never be another coach like Landry

DALLAS (AP) -- When Tom Landry was fired as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, many people said there would never be anyone like him again. Eleven years later, that seems truer than ever.<br><br>Landry's

Sunday, February 13th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DALLAS (AP) -- When Tom Landry was fired as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, many people said there would never be anyone like him again. Eleven years later, that seems truer than ever.

Landry's death Saturday night brought new reflection on his legacy. After dusting off the old stories and statistics, his accomplishments are even more impressive today.

It's difficult to imagine one person doing so much, so well for so long.

Landry was a winner.

His 270 victories are third most in NFL history. His teams reached five Super Bowls, winning two. They had a winning record for 20 straight seasons.

It's also worth noting that two of his Super Bowl losses were to the Pittsburgh Steelers during their Iron Curtain dynasty. The other was on a field goal in the final seconds.

Landry was an innovator.

He revolutionized defenses by creating the 4-3 formation in 1956, then in 1961 came up with the multiple offense to counter it. Both remain standards in all levels of football.

He continued tinkering with ideas and formations. He came up with things like the "Flex" defense and the chorus line routine that had the offensive line set, stand and reset.

He also borrowed from the business world. He took such notions as quality control and definition of goals and adapted them to football. Those, too, remain staples from high school through the NFL.

Landry knew how to persevere.

He lasted 29 seasons in the same job, an achievement in any field. In the NFL, it's astounding.

His first team went 0-11-1, the NFL's worst record in 18 years. He didn't have a winning record until the seventh year. Then critics said he couldn't win the big one. The Cowboys became Super Bowl champions in their sixth playoff season -- and again in their 11th.

To put his tenure in perspective, consider that the dean of current NFL coach is Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher, who is going into his ninth season. Another good measuring stick is Tom Coughlin, the first and so far only coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who would have to remain in place through 2023 to match Landry.

Landry was a born leader.

He spent two years as a bomber pilot in World War II flying combat missions in a B-17, the same plane his older brother died in.

While still a player with the New York Giants, Landry added the duties of defensive assistant, a job that translates to defensive
coordinator today.

His stoic sideline demeanor was a facade. Landry was an intense competitor, but he taught himself to control his emotions because he knew he needed a clear head to make snap decisions. He also was a deeply caring person who forced himself not to get close to his players for fear it would interfere with personnel decisions.

Even the fedora -- symbolic of him as the blue star is of the Cowboys -- was calculated. It started as a way to stay warm. Then it stayed because it looked good and fit Landry's plan to project a businesslike attitude.

Although conservative in manner, Landry managed to handle his share of wayward players -- from hard-drinking free spirit Don Meredith to troubled Duane Thomas to cocaine abuser Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson. That's worth remembering when wondering whether Landry could coach today.

Landry was a superb judge of talent.

He's joined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame by five of the players he drafted, from 1961 pick Bob Lilly to 1977 pick Tony Dorsett. The 1975 Cowboys, the first wild-card team to reach the Super Bowl, included 12 rookies.

He also had a knack for surrounding himself with talented assistant coaches. Dozens of aides went on to coach elsewhere in the NFL, including Dan Reeves and Mike Ditka, both of whom played for Landry and eventually coached teams into Super Bowls.

Landry was a model citizen.

He didn't smoke or drink or curse. He became a born-again Christian in 1959 and spent the next 40 years working with religious organizations, including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Billy Graham's crusades.

Times have changed so much that it's probably not possible to have another figure like Landry.

Ever since Dick Vermeil made burnout a football term in 1982, there seems to be another victim of that professional hazard every year. And with coaches getting seven-figure contracts, there's not much need to stick around as long.

Landry also was blessed to come along when pro football was still a game more than a business.

Imagine an owner today giving a coach a 10-year extension instead of a pink slip after going 13-38-3 four years into a five-year deal. That's what Clint Murchison did for Landry.

He knew what Tom Landry meant. Not only to the Cowboys but all of football.