Cowboys 'On The Phone' With Wink Martindale; Jerry Jones' Coach Search Has A 'Type'

Dallas Cowboys 'On The Phone' With Wink Martindale; Jerry Jones' Coach Search Has A 'Type'

LAS VEGAS - Say this about the Dallas Cowboys' "dating'' of candidates to become their new defensive coordinator: They have a "type.''

CowboysSI.com has previously reported that both team owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy, in this week's effort to replace Washington-bound aide Dan Quinn, lean toward the idea of an experienced coordinator, maybe even one with head coaching experience - but a "veteran'' for certain.

And so Mike Zimmer, age 67, has been interviewed and as a "made man'' is a leading candidate.

And Ron Rivera, 62, has been interviewed.

And Rex Ryan, 61, has been interviewed.

And now comes more profile-fitting confirmation of the club's interest in Wink Martindale, 60.

Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde has been among the in-house candidates considered. But he can't match the skins on the wall of the aforementioned foursome, with Martindale the only one of the quartet who hasn't been a head coach.

On Wednesday on 105.3 The Fan, former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi mentioned that he's hearing that Dallas wants to "interview Don 'Wink' Martindale, too ... I think they've been on the phone with his agent and talking about bringing him in.''

Martindale left the New York Giants after one season after clashing with head coach Brian Daboll. But before that, he oversaw standout defenses in Baltimore.

Ryan's career highlight is that he once head-coached the New York Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship Games.

Rivera, just fired as Washington's head coach, was the top man when his Carolina Panthers went to the Super Bowl.

Zimmer was a successful head coach of the Minnesota Vikings after a long stint as a defensive coordinator, with his NFL career being launched as a Dallas assistant in 1994.