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Jason Garrett stood behind a lectern for his first news conference as the interim coach of the Dallas Cowboys. That alone sent the message there’s a new way of doing things around America’s team.

Wade Phillips, you see, always sat behind a table.

Rearranging the furniture isn’t going to revive the 1-7 Dallas Cowboys, but team owner Jerry Jones is hoping the switch in leaders will. He fired Phillips on Monday and promoted Garrett from offensive coordinator to “affect a culture change” for a team that’s been playing worse each week.

The swing from Phillips to Garrett isn’t as drastic as when Jones went from Bill Parcells to Phillips.

But it’s still a sizeable shift.

Phillips never played in the NFL and never was part of a Super Bowl champion. Garrett was a backup quarterback in the NFL for 12 seasons, mostly to Troy Aikman in Dallas, and was part of two Super Bowl champions with the Cowboys.

Then there’s their personalities.

Garrett, a Princeton grad, brings an approach that is in stark contrast to the folksy Phillips.

Take the lectern, for instance. Or this description of how he’s going to run the team: “One of the things that we’re going to focus on going forward is the process.”

Garrett’s father, Jim, said he’s never seen Jason get angry. Ever.

“And he went through some tough times as a player,” said the elder Garrett, who worked for the Cowboys for 22 years. “If he retains his same philosophy of being a teacher, he’s going to win.”

Garrett could be blamed for some of what’s gone wrong this season. But as the interim coach, Garrett has eight games to show whether he’s got what it takes.

“All I can do is be who I am,” Garrett said. “I have things that I believe in. I have things that I’m convicted about.”