The Associated Press

The Dallas Cowboys fired Dave Campo after three straight 5-11 seasons, while the Jacksonville Jaguars dismissed Tom Coughlin after a 6-10 mark, their third straight losing season.

Campo's dismissal was expected after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones spent 11 hours in two separate meetings with Bill Parcells over the last 10 days. The Dallas Morning News reported on its Web site that Parcells and Dallas had agreed to a four-year deal at $4.5 million per year. But ESPN, the network for which Parcells works as an NFL analyst, reported there was no deal.

Campo's firing has the biggest ramifications around the league, largely because the Cowboys are a high-profile team and because of Jones' approach to Parcells, who won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants and took the New England Patriots to a third.

That is complicated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' demand for compensation if Dallas hires Parcells. The Bucs contend that Parcells signed a contract with them last year before backing out at the last minute.

The NFL said it is studying the merits of that claim.

"This change is more about a change in philosophy, not about what Dave didn't do," Jones said.

That philosophical change presumably would take Jones out of the coaching equation and off the sideline, where he often watches during games. Jones also has served as his own general manager and has made most of the personnel decisions.

Parcells doesn't seem likely to tolerate that.

Campo, a lifelong assistant, was promoted from defensive coordinator three years ago when Chan Gailey was fired. He was the last assistant coach hired for Jimmy Johnson's staff after Jones bought the team in 1989, following 11 college jobs in 18 years.

Campo is the first Cowboys coach to leave with a losing record (15-33). He is also the first never to win the division or make the playoffs.

"I knew the parameters that we were going to be dealing with from the standpoint of being a team in transition," Campo said. "Sometimes, you are at the apex and sliding. I knew that we were in that position."

Jones has ousted all five coaches in team history and hired four of them.

Coughlin served as coach and general manager during all eight years of the Jaguars' existence. He went 72-64 and twice took Jacksonville to the AFC championship game, but the Jaguars went 19-29 the past three years.

"There's a point in this business where you have to say, `We need innovative new ideas, new fresh approaches, and we have to move in a different direction,'" Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver said. "And that's what this is all about."

What it's also all about is attendance.

Ticket sales have declined precipitously in Jacksonville, after the Jaguars' early success turned to mediocrity and then losing. Last winter, Coughlin was enlisted to take part in a sales campaign, but his dour personality wasn't suited to that.

It also alienated some of his players.

"After listening to the same thing over and over, you can have a tendency to shut it out," Jacksonville cornerback Jason Craft said.

There are probably more changes to come around the league.

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren was meeting with team officials and might be forced to let go of his dual duties as general manager and coach. He also might have to fire some defensive assistants.

But team president Matt Millen and coach Marty Mornhinweg apparently remained safe for the time being in Detroit, which is 5-27 in the past two seasons. Lions owner William Clay Ford was vacationing in Florida, and the team said it was closing down for the next two weeks.

Mornhinweg said he would do business as usual, unless he's told otherwise.

"I'm not going to defend anything, or lobby, or anything like that," Mornhinweg said. "We're moving ahead."