IRVING, Texas - That family atmosphere Wade Phillips said he wanted to
foster when named head coach continues to grow. The Cowboys are set to
announce the hiring of Judd Garrett, younger brother of Jason and John,
as the team's new assistant director of pro personnel.

The expected reunion of the Garrett brothers in Dallas will serve two
purposes: The Cowboys have needed to replace Brian Gaine, the former
assistant director of pro scouting who departed a few months ago to join
Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland with the Miami Dolphins in the same capacity.

But maybe more importantly for Judd Garrett, the St. Louis Rams tight
ends coach the past two seasons who had been on the Dolphins' staff the
previous five years, the move to Dallas will afford him a much-needed
family support system.

Because suddenly and unexpectedly, Judd's wife Kathy, a 38-year-old
picture of good health and former Princeton soccer player, died in
mid-August of last year after a brief illness, leaving the youngest of
the four Garrett brothers - and of eight children - to raise the
couples' four children, ranging from ages 9 to 15.

As would be expected from this tight-knit clan of Jim and Jane Garrett -
Jim the longtime former scout of the Cowboys - the family mobilized to
help Judd through the season. Mother, sisters and sister-in-laws took
turns making trips to St. Louis to help with the kids so Judd Garrett
could continue his coaching duties with the Rams.

But this past February, St. Louis coach Scott Linehan, realizing the
huge task on Judd Garrett's hands, told his assistant the club would
honor the final year on his contract without asking him to work so that
he could better care for his family in the aftermath of his wife's
death. The Rams also told him he had the right to look for another job.

"You want the best for everybody in these situations," Linehan said at
the time. "In his position, it's not the best thing for him to be away
from his family. I told him he wasn't going to have a coaching position.
We could've reassigned him to work somewhere in the organization, but as
I thought about it, I thought the best thing would be to let him know
that we'll take care of the contract, so he has that and can take the
year to kind of get things squared away."

The Cowboys also are expected to announce the much-anticipated promotion
of Tom Ciskowski from assistant director of college scouting to
Ireland's vacated position of scouting director. Ciskowski, who has
worked in the Cowboys' scouting department since 1992 and the last seven
as assistant director of college scouting, received high marks from
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones following the recent draft.

Ciskowski basically had assumed Ireland's duties, organizing the team's
scouting department and becoming Jerry and Stephen Jones' right-hand man
during the draft process.