After officially parting ways with head coach Mike McCarthy today, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly hasn’t wasted any time compiling a new list of preferred candidates.
Jerry Jones made a curious decision to wait eight days until after the Cowboys’ season to move on from McCarthy. He lost out on one hot candidate in Mike Vrabel (hired by the New England Patriots) and cannot interview Lions OC Ben Johnson or DC Aaron Glenn (if they’re even available) until Detroit’s season concludes.
But to Jones’ credit, he’s moving quickly to assemble a list of potential candidates for the Cowboys’ head coaching vacancy. And according to a report from Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, that list includes a Cowboys legend and three Super Bowl-winning head coaches.
According to Harris, ex-Cowboys star tight end Jason Witten is a name to follow in Jones’ search for the next head coach. The list also includes Super Bowl-winning head coaches Jon Gruden, Pete Carroll and Doug Pederson.
Interestingly, current Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is also on the list, along with Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin and Washington Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury. Moore was a backup quarterback in Dallas from 2015-17 and served as their OC from 2019 to 2022.
Also Read: REPORT: Details Emerge On How Jerry Jones Completely Screwed The Cowboys With Pointless Mistake
My Top Head Coaching Candidates for the Dallas Cowboys:
— Attack! on Cowboys ✭ (@AttackOnCowboys) January 13, 2025
1) Ben Johnson (not happening)
2) Marcus Freeman/Brian Flores (definitely not happening)
3) Jon Gruden (probably will happen)
4) Deion Sanders (I don’t actually want this but wouldn’t hate it)
5) Anybody but Kellen…
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Harris noted that he spoke “with various people with knowledge of what could be on the table for the Cowboys” before sharing the list.
Jerry Jones has only hired two head coaches dating back to 2010, with Jason Garrett having his interim HC tag removed in 2011. After 10 seasons in Dallas, Garrett was let go and replaced by McCarthy.
Imperative For Jerry Jones To Get His Next Hire Right
Jones set the Cowboys back for many years by keeping Garrett for a decade, even though Dallas only won two playoff games during his tenure. McCarthy did lead Dallas to three 12-win seasons, but he only had a single postseason victory to show for that in five years at the helm.
So Jones has to take his time with the process and ensure he picks the right FOOTBALL candidate, and not just another “yes man” that he likes on a personal level.
