Zampese Leaves Cowboys, Coach Search Continues

The Dallas Cowboys’ coaching search carousel is expected to spin into next week with owner Jerry Jones still trying to replace Barry Switzer and now needing an offensive coordinator as well.

Ernie Zampese was named offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots on Thursday.

Zampese, who spent the last four seasons as offensive coordinator for Switzer, replaces Larry Kennan in that position with the Patriots.

Green Bay Packer offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis interviewed with Jones for a second time Thursday for the Cowboys’ head-coaching vacancy. That brings Lewis even with former San Francisco coach George Seifert and former UCLA coach Terry Donahue.

As a replacement for Zampese, Jones has his eye on Brian Billick of the Minnesota Vikings, who are claiming the Cowboys tampered by talking to him at the Senior Bowl.

Billick was trying to get permission to talk to Jones about a job with the Cowboys.

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Joe Pendry, who spent the last three season with the Carolina Panthers, was named offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. Terms of his contract were not disclosed.

Among those considered for the job was UCLA offensive coordinator Al Borges.

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Ted Turner and NBC are involved in preliminary talks about setting up a new football league to rival the NFL, a spokesman for Time Warner said Thursday night in Atlanta. The talks were characterized as “preliminary conversations.”

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Super Bowl quarterbacks John Elway of Denver and Brett Favre of Green Bay both face the prospect of off-season surgery, the NFL said in announcing neither would play in Sunday’s Pro Bowl. Elway will have shoulder surgery and Favre knee surgery.