Jerry Jones Defends Cowboys’ Approach to Coaching Pay

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones defended his approach to hiring coaches, saying he sees no link between coaching salaries and winning, as his team faces criticism after a loss to Arizona. Jones made the remarks during a radio interview on 105.3 The Fan. He said his view was based on looking across years and all 32 NFL teams, describing the result as “zero correlation” between how much teams pay coaches, or how many coaches they employ, and winning. The reports did not include the data or method behind his assertion. The comments came after Dallas lost 33-30 in overtime to the Arizona Cardinals, falling to 3-5, according to reports. The defeat intensified scrutiny of Jones’s decision to promote Brian Schottenheimer, who is in his second season as head coach. One report put Schottenheimer’s annual salary at $4.5 million and said it ranks outside the league’s top 20. Jones said he has hired coaches with and without NFL experience and has worked with both young and older coaches. He also acknowledged criticism of his record, while arguing that a less conventional hiring choice could pay off. He did not announce a change to Schottenheimer’s position during the...