Cowboys’ Search Ends With Gailey as Coach

One month later, the Dallas Cowboys finally found their man--and he has this dream of making the team the best in the NFL again.

Pittsburgh Steeler offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was hired to succeed Barry Switzer on Thursday in one of the highest-profile coaching positions in pro sports.

“This is the beginning of the dream,” said Gailey, 46, who signed a five-year contract. “Another part of that dream . . . is that we get to stand on that podium some late January afternoon and have a hand on that Lombardi Trophy.

“The end of the dream, the final dream, will be that . . . we’re champions with class, dignity and character. That’s what I’m about.”

Owner Jerry Jones had not met Gailey, 46, before Sunday at the NFL scouting combine at Indianapolis, but they clicked quickly. Within days he had moved past bigger names such as former San Francisco coach George Seifert and former UCLA coach Terry Donahue.

“I sat on the front of my seat when I saw his energy level,” said Jones. “He’ll put fire into the players when they see his skill level.”

Gailey, who signed a five-year contract, takes over a team coming off a 6-10 season, its worst since 1-15 in 1989.

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Steve Young, already the NFL’s highest paid player, got a raise when the San Francisco 49ers replaced his old contract with a six-year, $49.1 million deal. Young’s previous deal, negotiated last off-season, was for $45 million over six years.

The new contract bumped Young’s annual average salary to $8.2 million. But more importantly, both sides realized immediate benefits. The 49ers gained salary cap room while Young received a $7.5 million signing bonus, which pro-rated against the cap softens the impact of the team’s payroll.

In another contract restructuring, the 49ers signed running back Garrison Hearst to a five-year, $15.1 million contract.

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The Minnesota Vikings made Todd Steussie the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history, agreeing to a $22 million, five-year contract. The deal includes a $6 million signing bonus.

Steussie’s yearly average of $4.4 million surpasses the reported $4 million average of the six-year contract tackle Larry Allen signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

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Wide receiver Robert Brooks agreed to a $15.1 million, five-year contract with Green Bay, taking him off the long list of Packer free agents. Another Green Bay wide receiver, Don Beebe, was waived, but says he hopes to play another season. Free-agent running back Edgar Bennett, who missed all of last season because of an Achilles’ tendon injury, is certain to leave now that the Packers have made Pro Bowl running back Dorsey Levens their franchise player. . . . The Chicago Bears signed defensive tackle Jim Flanigan to a five-year, $15 million contract. He got a $4 million signing bonus.

The New York Giants rewrote wide receiver Chris Calloway’s contract, released tight end Aaron Pierce and waived tight end Brandon Jessie and center Marc Lamb. . . . The Kansas City Chiefs signed cornerback James Hasty to four one-year contracts. . . . The New England Patriots have signed defensive end Willie McGinest to a five-year contract and tackle Bruce Armstrong to a four-year deal.

Several teams also designated their franchise players: The Cincinnati Bengals designated Dan Wilkinson, the Miami Dolphins, who are $16 million under the salary cap, designated defensive tackle Tim Bowens, Kansas City designated defensive end Dan Williams. The Buffalo Bills designated nose tackle Ted Washington as their franchise player, and he threatened to sit out the first 10 games of the season. A franchise player can negotiate with other teams, but his own team can match the offer or receive draft picks as compensation. . . . The two-month free-agency signing period begins today.