Cowboy Line Is Forming

With Barry Switzer resigning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, former UCLA coach Terry Donahue’s name came up as a possible replacement.

George Seifert is being mentioned as the most likely replacement, but Donahue could be as high as No. 2 on the list. If Seifert were to turn down Cowboy owner Jerry Jones, Donahue could well be the team’s next coach.

Donahue has said that he would not speculate on the Cowboy situation as long as Switzer was still the coach, and he could not be reached for comment Friday.

But he has privately told friends that he is intrigued by the Cowboy job and would be interested if the situation and money were right.

Donahue has said there are a number of things about coaching he misses, but he also has repeatedly said how much he enjoys his new career as a college football commentator for CBS.

However, CBS loses the Orange and Fiesta bowls to ABC next season and the Cotton Bowl to Fox, leaving the CBS college football cupboard pretty bare. CBS has football contracts with only the Southeastern Conference and the Big East.

Donahue has the backing of Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman, whom Donahue coached in college, although Aikman has publicly said he will not be involved in the Cowboys’ selection of a coach.

It’s also known that Jones likes Donahue’s clean-cut image. “I have an image of the new coach real clear and good,” said Jones at a news conference in Irving, Texas, on Friday.

Asked if he saw his image in the mirror, Jones laughed and said, “No. Not me.”

Switzer’s final day with the Cowboys was marked by the same bumbling and lack of discipline his team showed while going 6-10 this season. Switzer couldn’t get his access code to work and was denied entry into the Valley Ranch complex until someone heard him banging on the front door. Then he did not talk to reporters. He simply issued a statement.

Other candidates to replace him include Jon Gruden, offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, University of Miami Coach Butch Davis, and Cowboy defensive coordinator Dave Campo.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.