The Dallas Cowboys may be looking for a new head coach this offseason, but owner Jerry Jones is refuting a link to Oklahoma boss Lincoln Riley for now.
During his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, Jones said any interest in Riley as a replacement for Jason Garrett is merely conjecture.
Jerry Jones on @1053thefan on having any interest in Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley: "That would be total drawing it out of the air. … Totally speculation."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 13, 2018
Jones praised Riley’s success with the Sooners and added he’s not surprised a “coach of his stature” was mentioned.
In fairness to Jones, he cannot and would not acknowledge interest in anyone before actually moving on from Garrett. Of course it’s speculation right now. But if the Cowboys are going to change coaches, their first call ought to be to Riley.
That also applies to several teams, including the Cleveland Browns. Their quarterback, Baker Mayfield, rose to prominence in Riley’s system at OU.
While there’s no guarantee Riley leaves Norman for the NFL, his offensive expertise is absolutely worth pursuing.