When the Dallas Cowboys hired Mike McCarthy as their head coach earlier this year, he was quick to handpick his new defensive coordinator: Mike Nolan, the New Orleans Saints linebackers coach the last three years. Nolan and McCarthy worked together with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2005, so they clearly had a history together, and expected swift results in Dallas.
But the early returns have been disappointing. Nolan has preached the need for schematic variety ever since he took the job, stressing the importance of finding a balance between man and zone coverage.