Donahue Falls Out in Big D?

Once there was an indication that Jerry Jones would hold a news conference today to introduce the new coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

And once there was an indication that he would announce Terry Donahue had the job.

Then all indications were that none of that would happen.

Donahue, for 20 seasons the coach at UCLA, returned to Orange County on Tuesday after meeting with Jones for a third time, sleeping in Jones’ mansion, mulling the possibility of taking the job and apparently deciding that no matter how big and bright the stars were at night, there were too many negatives deep in the heart of Texas.

A source close to the situation said Donahue’s hiring now seemed “less likely.”

But another familiar with it called his return from Dallas a negotiating move and speculated that during the 30 hours of conversations between him and Jones, the money figures mentioned were too low.

Jones denied that the job was offered--”I don’t think you offer and accept a job until it’s in writing. We’re a long way from that,” he said--but he apparently believed the job was resolved enough to book plane tickets for Donahue’s family to go to Dallas for a news conference.

The Cowboys also had bought Donahue a plane ticket to Indianapolis, where the NFL scouting combine is being held Thursday.

Further indicating an offer had been spurned, Jones said, “We [son Stephen Jones and I] had an extended visit and spent a lot of time with Terry. We left it as though we would continue to evaluate him and he would continue to evaluate his decision in this area and so he went back home.”

Donahue did not return phone calls Tuesday.

Before the day was finished, Jones had made calls to Green Bay defensive coordinator Sherman Lewis and former San Francisco 49er coach George Seifert to let them know they were still in the running to coach the Cowboys.

Both have had two interviews with Jones, with Lewis spending two nights at his Dallas home. Cowboy defensive back Deion Sanders said Tuesday he and teammates had lobbied for Lewis.

But Lewis apparently is getting tired of twisting in the wind.

“I haven’t talked to Jerry since last Friday,” he said. “It’s frustrating waiting.”

Jones may have made the job less palatable Tuesday when he extended the contracts of defensive coordinator Dave Campo, linebackers coach Jim Bates, kicking/offensive quality control coach Steve Hoffman, offensive line coach Hudson Houck and secondary coach Mike Zimmer.

The Cowboys also hired Clarence Shelmon of the Seattle Seahawks as running backs coach to replace Joe Brodsky, who is going to Chicago, and there are indications that Jones has sought--but not yet received--permission to talk with Minnesota offensive coordinator Brian Billick to replace Ernie Zampese, who has gone to New England.

At minimum, most incoming head coaches would prefer to name their own staff, but that’s not the way Jones does things, a possible sticking point in negotiations with Donahue or any other coach.

Jones also claims to have a “mystery” candidate, and he insists he will have a coach that will have the players and fans “sitting up in their seats.”

Jones had said he would consider some college coaches. Louisiana State’s Gerry DiNardo was believed to be on his list, and Jones is close to Miami’s Butch Davis, a former Cowboy defensive coordinator.

“My list has always extended beyond the three people that have been mentioned,” Jones said.

The Cowboys have been without a coach since the resignation of Barry Switzer on Jan. 9 after a 6-10 season.

Donahue, who had twice turned down jobs in the NFL, became a quick candidate, based on his having coached the Cowboys’ quarterback, Troy Aikman, at UCLA; his frequently expressed desire to return to the sidelines and his apparent concern about his future with CBS television, where he is entrenched as a college football analyst and would like to be entrenched in working NFL games.

He had turned down a chance to coach the Rams when they left Los Angeles and, in 1987, turned down a $2.4-million, five year offer to coach the Atlanta Falcons.

At that time, he said he had been offered a “chance to go to a neat city with a great job. I don’t think an opportunity like that is going to be presented to me again.”

Apparently, it was, and apparently, it met with the same response.

And apparently, there will be no news conference today in Dallas to announce the coach of the Cowboys.

But apparently, it was all unexpected by Jones.

“I thought that I was leaning or feeling good about how we were bringing the search to a conclusion,” he said. “However, as I got into Monday, as I got into Tuesday, I want to go down a few more roads.”

And those roads, apparently, don’t run through Orange County.

*

The Associated Press, the Washington Post and Times Staff Writer Bill Plaschke contributed to this story.