Garrett Confident in Former Teammate, New Dolphins Coach Dan Campbell

Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has faith that his old friend and teammate Dan Campbell will be able to right the ship in Miami--at least, as much as the ship can be righted.

Garrett is uniquely qualified to discuss the hiring of Campbell, which was announced Monday along with the firing of Joe Philbin. He knows the Dolphins franchise (having worked for them), Campbell the man (having played with him), and he certainly knows what it’s like to take over as an NFL head coach for the first time as the result of a brutal start to a season. Garrett did that five years ago, after Wade Phillips led the Cowboys to a 1-7 start and was fired.

"Sometimes these things happen," Garrett said, per Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas. "It's a challenge when they happen during the season but Dan Campbell was a teammate of mine and he's just a hell of a guy and I think he's a really good football guy. I think somehow someway he's going to help that football team get righted and he's going to do that because he's a really willful guy. He's got a great personality and he's a tough guy and I just wish him nothing but the best."
 
Garrett and Campbell spent three seasons, from 2000-2002, as teammates with the New York Giants. Campbell left the Giants for the Cowboys in 2003, as one of the first free agent signings of the Bill Parcells era. He played three years in Dallas, and served as something of a mentor for Jason Witten through the first three seasons of his career.

"Always a very smart guy," Garrett said. "Knew the game really well, knew things beyond his position and really cared about it, cared about detail, always wanted to know more and loved to play, has a great passion for playing, a great passion for teams and a great passion for the game of football."