Jason Garrett Jason Calvin Garrett ( born March 28 , 1966 ) is an American former National Football League player and the current head coach of the Dallas Cowboys . Garrett was the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Cowboys before being promoted to interim head coach after the Cowboys fired coach Wade Phillips on November 8 , 2010 while remaining offensive coordinator . High school career . Garrett went to prep school at University School in Hunting Valley , Ohio , and was a letterman in football , basketball , and baseball . In football , as a senior , he won All - League honors as both a quarterback and safety . Jason Garrett graduated from University School in 1984 . Garrett attended grade school at Saint Ann ' s , located in Cleveland Heights , Ohio . College career . Garrett originally played college football at Princeton University , but transferred to Columbia University when his father , Jim Garrett , became the head coach . Following his father ' s resignation as head coach after Columbia ' s 0 - 10 1985 season , Jason and his brothers , John and Judd , transferred back to Princeton . At Princeton in 1987 and 1988 , Garrett completed 366 of 550 passes ( 66 . 5 % ) for 4 , 274 yards and 20 touchdowns and won the Asa S . Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Player of the Year . In 1988 he piloted Princeton in a losing effort against his former team , snapping Columbia ' s 44 - game losing streak . He earned a degree in history in 1989 . He continues to hold the Ivy League career record for completion percentage with 66 . 5 % ( 366 – 550 ) and his 1988 percentage of 68 . 2 % ( 204 – 299 ) stood as the league record until 2000 , when Gavin Hoffman posted a 70 . 5 % mark . Professional career . He signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 1989 and 1990 . In 1991 , Garrett started at quarterback for the San Antonio Riders of the World League of American Football , but suffered a separated shoulder in the season opener . He ' d return to play for the Riders later in the season , but was supplanted by Mike Johnson in the lineup . In 1992 , Garrett played for the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League . In 1993 , Garrett went to the Dallas Cowboys , where he was the third - string backup to Troy Aikman on the 1993 and 1995 Super Bowl winning teams . In eight seasons with the Cowboys , Garrett played in 39 games and completed 165 of 294 passes ( 56 . 1 % ) for 2 , 042 yards , 11 touchdowns , and 5 interceptions . The highlight of his career with the Cowboys occurred on Thanksgiving Day , 1994 , when Garrett , starting in place of injured back - up Rodney Peete , led the Cowboys over the Green Bay Packers by completing 15 of 26 passes for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns in a second - half comeback . In 2008 , that game was named the fourth - best moment in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN . Garrett was promoted to second string Cowboys quarterback for the 1998 and 1999 seasons . Garrett started 5 games in 1998 while Aikman was injured ( leading the team to a 3 - 2 record ) and started two in 1999 ( going 1 - 1 ) . In 2000 , he went to the New York Giants , where he appeared sparingly as the backup to Kerry Collins from 2000 to 2003 . In 2004 , after a short stint as a backup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , he went to the Miami Dolphins . Coaching career . Miami Dolphins . After retiring as a player , he became the quarterback coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2005 – 2006 . Dallas Cowboys . In January 2007 , Garrett was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as offensive coordinator . His influence made the Cowboys the 2nd best offense in the NFL making him an attractive head coaching prospect . His salary in the 2008 season was nearly $ 3 million and was the highest salary for an assistant coach in the NFL . On November 8 , 2010 , he was named as the Dallas Cowboys ' interim head coach following the firing of Wade Phillips after the Cowboys ' 1 - 7 start for the 2010 season . On November 14 , 2010 , Garrett won his first game as a head coach , beating the favored New York Giants 33 - 20 in the Meadowlands . The next week , he led the Cowboys to a 35 - 19 victory over the Detroit Lions , their first home win all season . On January 6 , 2011 , Garrett was named the official Cowboys head coach ; the 8th in Cowboys history , and the first born during the team ' s era . According to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones , Garrett could be relinquishing play - calling duties on offense to Bill Callahan . Other coaching opportunities . In January 2008 , Garrett interviewed for the head coaching job of the Baltimore Ravens and the Atlanta Falcons receiving offers from both , but ultimately opted to remain in Dallas . On December 29 , 2008 the Detroit Lions received permission to speak to Garrett regarding the teams head coaching vacancy according to ESPN sources . In January 2009 , the Denver Broncos also interviewed him as a possible replacement for fired coach Mike Shanahan . He was also a finalist for the St . Louis Rams head coaching position , to replace Jim Haslett , the interim head coach . Ultimately , he lost the job to Steve Spagnuolo . Personal life . Jason ' s brothers , John and Judd , also played in the WLAF , and Judd made second - team All - World League in 1991 after leading the league in catches . John is currently tight - ends coach for the Dallas Cowboys , and his younger brother , Judd , works in the Dallas Cowboys front office after being let go as tight ends coach for the St . Louis Rams . Since he played for the London Monarchs , Judd is the only one of the Garretts who played in the WLAF to have a World Bowl ring . Another brother , Jim Garrett III , is an English teacher and former football coach at University School in Hunting Valley , Ohio . His father Jim Garrett was an assistant coach for the New York Giants ( 1970 – 1973 ) , New Orleans Saints ( 1976 – 77 ) , and Cleveland Browns ( 1978 – 84 ) and head coach of the Houston Texans of the World Football League ( 1974 ) and at Columbia University ( 1985 ) . From 1987 to 2004 , he served as a scout for the Dallas Cowboys . Garrett resides in Dallas with his wife , Brill .