Cowboys fill final spot on coaching staff

The Dallas Cowboys have hired Gary Brown as running backs coach, according to a source, which completes their coaching staff.

Brown has spent the past four seasons as the Cleveland Browns running backs coach. Last season, Browns running back Trent Richardson was the league's 18th-ranked rusher and third among rookies, with 950 yards. Richardson also scored 11 touchdowns.

Peyton Hillis was Brown's only 1,000-yard rusher in four seasons, gaining 1,177 yards in 2010.

Brown replaces Skip Peete, who was not retained after six seasons in Dallas. Peete has been hired as the Chicago Bears running backs coach.

Brown, a former Penn State standout, played eight seasons in the NFL after being an eighth-round draft pick of the Houston Oilers in 1991. He rushed for 4,300 yards and 21 touchdowns on 1,023 carries in a career with the Oilers (1991-95), San Diego Chargers (1997) and New York Giants ('98-99). He rushed for 1,000 yards twice, in '93 and '98.

He started coaching immediately after his playing career ended. He had college jobs at Lycoming College, Susquehanna University and Rutgers before joining the Browns.

Jones touts Garrett

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in evaluating the 2012 season that he "saw things about our head coach that really give me a lot of promise for not only 2013 but for years to come. I'm excited about Jason Garrett."

In an interview on the team website, Jones said the season evaluation "did entail quite a position staff change. ...And rest assured that Jason Garrett, our head coach, made those changes. He basically said, 'Here's the kind of coaches I want.' He did the evaluations ...and said, Jerry, here's who I want to get."

Jones wants Cowboys fans to know that in revamping the coaching staff "we're not just making these changes to have a new face out here."

Changing assistants meant paying off contracts and "All of that ended up, frankly, being pretty expensive," Jones said.

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