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Yes, we're just over halfway through the 2024 NFL season, but let's face it, with the Dallas Cowboys limping into Week 11 sporting a 3-6 record, head coach Mike McCarthy is as good as gone next season.
Assuming McCarthy and Dallas continue to struggle for the remainder of the year -- and with Dak Prescott now officially out for the rest of the season, it doesn't feel like a big assumption -- who could Jerry Jones hire to be the next head coach of the Cowboys?
With Jones and the Dallas front office likely already compiling a list of potential 2025 hires, let's do the same. Here are the top candidates to replace Mike McCarthy as head coach of the Cowboys next season.
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Former Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick
Let's get perhaps the most obvious candidate out of the way first. After closing the loop on a historic 24-season run as the head coach of the New England Patriots that resulted in nine Super Bowl appearances, six Super Bowl titles, and 266 regular-season wins, Belichick flirted with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason but ultimately elected to stay off the sidelines in 2024.
Will Jerry Jones would turn to Bill Belichick to steer the Cowboys ship away from the giant iceberg?
I’m not saying I would… or that it will for sure happen… but look at the facts. Right now, Jerry’s football IQ is being questioned like never before.
It’s been a cold run at… pic.twitter.com/QISgOdJPbD
— Ben Rogers (@BenRogers) November 9, 2024
He's a Bill Parcells disciple -- a coach who was once the head coach of the Cowboys -- and would add instant credibility to Dallas' Super Bowl aspirations. However, at 72 years old, Belichick's window of opportunity in Big D would be relatively short, but hey, Jerry Jones is 82, so it's all about the here and now.
Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson
The 38-year-old offensive mastermind will likely be the hottest name in the NFL offseason's coaching arms race. Johnson has worked wonders with Jared Goff in Detroit while leading the long-suffering Lions to a massive turnaround that included an NFC Championship Game appearance last season and 2024's best NFC record as of this writing.
Johnson has made it clear that he doesn't plan to leave Detroit for just any head-coaching offer that comes his way. He'll command a huge contract and will need to feel as though the personnel and front office are the right fit. Can Dallas check those boxes?
Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores
A member of the Belichick coaching tree, things ended badly for Flores in his first shot as a head coach with the Dolphins, though many around the league quietly respect the job he did in a less-than-ideal situation in Miami.
However, Tua Tagovailoa's offseason revelations of the treatment he received from Flores during their time in South Beach have likely cooled his head-coaching prospects.
Even with those issues, Flores has unquestionably put on a coaching clinic with his Minnesota defense this year, using exotic and creative schemes to help the Vikings off to a surprisingly strong start, which should put him squarely on Jerry Jones' radar.
University of Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart
Ok ... let's get nuts. We've seen Jones pillage the college coaching ranks with great success in the past. His first hire as owner of the Cowboys, Jimmy Johnson, had no NFL head-coaching experience when Jones plucked him out of the University of Miami. Dallas again dipped into the college ranks when hiring Johnson's replacement, Barry Switzer, who had been wildly successful at the University of Oklahoma.
Would Jones take another shot on college football's best coach ahead of 2025? Kirby Smart has never dipped his toe in the NFL waters but has accomplished everything he can at the college level while leading the Bulldogs to two national championships. If he's ever going to take a shot at the pro game, why not do it with the NFL's most famous franchise?
Former Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel
One of the shockers of the past offseason was that Vrabel wasn't hired as a head coach. Vrabel is still young at just 49 years old, which means Jones would have the opportunity to land a long-term replacement for Mike McCarthy with the former Patriots star and Bill Belichick disciple.
"Mike Vrabel is out there. Bill Belichick is out there. These aren't two normal coaches. These are two great coaches... You should fire your coach yesterday to get to Bill Belichick." @stugotz790 and @gregcote react to the latest Cowboys loss and potential replacements if they… pic.twitter.com/ryhURDcd5E
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) October 14, 2024
Vrabel posted a 54-45 record in six seasons as head coach of the Titans and earned three playoff appearances during his time in Tennessee. That accomplishment looks even better when considering just how bad things have been in Nashville in their first post-Vrabel season. He's a defensive-minded candidate who is known for his tough ways and he'd need to bring a strong offensive coordinator with him to Dallas.
Bills Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady
Just 35 years old, Brady would inject youth and energy into a Cowboys organization that's grown stale during McCarthy's tenure. Despite his age, Brady has already worked with two of the best quarterbacks in football by serving as Joe Burrow's offensive coordinator at LSU and currently as Josh Allen's OC in Buffalo.
The move to hire Brady would be an investment in Dak Prescott's continued development, which isn't a bad strategy considering the massive contract extension Prescott signed to begin the 2024 season.
Commanders Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury
Kingsbury's tenure as the head man in Arizona ended badly after a four-year tenure that resulted in a 28-37-1 overall record with the Cardinals. His clashes with franchise quarterback Kyler Murray were also reportedly a reason for his departure from the desert.
However, Kingsbury's career has been rejuvenated this season, as the work he's done with rookie Jayden Daniels in his first season with the Commanders has been inarguably impressive. He also has deep Texas ties thanks to playing collegiately and serving as a head coach at Texas Tech, as well as stops as an assistant at Houston and Texas A&M.
Texans Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik
Already based in Texas, Slowik has done a tremendous job as the offensive coordinator for an upstart Houston organization. He comes from the Shanahan coaching tree, which is desirable for obvious reasons.
Another huge factor in Dallas' interest in Slowik would be his work with young quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has already blossomed into one of the NFL's best signal-callers in just two years. Slowik's offensive aptitude, as well as the work he could put in with Dak Prescott, make him an option that will likely be very high on Jerry Jones' radar.
University of Colorado Head Coach Deion Sanders
No arguments, this one sounds a little outlandish. However, we are talking about Jerry Jones and Deion Sanders here, so shocking moves are well within the realm of possibilities.
Prime Time's ties to the Cowboys are well known, as he helped the franchise win a Super Bowl title while playing in Dallas from 1995 to 2000, and the sentiment that he will be a serious candidate for the eventual Cowboys opening is gaining steam in the media.
"Deion [Sanders] is actually the perfect person for this situation."
—@Foxworth24 on how Deion Sanders could be the solution for the Cowboys 🍿 pic.twitter.com/daTfG6ezvw
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 12, 2024
Though a jump to the NFL head-coaching ranks seems like a huge jump, Sanders has skyrocketed through the collegiate level since beginning at HBCU Jackson State and leaping to Colorado. We also shouldn't ignore the Travis Hunter factor, as the potential Heisman Trophy winner is expected to be a high pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Could Jerry Jones have an interest in keeping this dynamic duo together and bringing both Sanders and Hunter from Boulder to Dallas?
Former Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh
It isn't often that a head coach who is fired midseason would even be in consideration for a high-profile position the following year. That said, we wouldn't rule out Robert Saleh as at least being in the interview mix when the Cowboys do axe Mike McCarthy.
Sure, the 20-36 record that Saleh amassed while with the Jets can be criticized, but as New York continues to implode following his firing, the job he did starts to look better in hindsight. Saleh's defenses excelled during his time in the Big Apple and the Jets were consistently competitive despite starting six different quarterbacks (none of them good) during his 56 games with the organization.
Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn
Welcome to the downside of having a great team, Detroit. As the Lions continue their ascension up the NFL ranks, their coordinators are sure to be hot commodities this offseason. In addition to OC Ben Johnson, Detroit DC Aaron Glenn has been pegged by many league insiders as a future NFL head coach.
Glenn interviewed for four head-coaching positions last offseason. He is loved and respected by anyone who plays for him, a fact that won't be lost on a Cowboys front office that wants to keep generational defensive talent Micah Parsons happy.
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