The Dallas Cowboys are poised to finish the 2024 NFL season with their worst record since 2020, the first year under head coach Mike McCarthy. With Dallas seemingly destined to make changes next offseason, it’s time to evaluate Cowboys coaching candidates for 2025.
McCarthy, in all likelihood, won’t be fired by Dallas. History will likely once again repeat itself, with Jerry Jones letting McCarthy’s contract expire at the end of the regular season much like he did with Jason Garrett. While it won’t technically count as a firing, it will still mean another Cowboys coaching search in an offseason with a lot of big-name coaching candidates available.
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Let’s dive into our Cowboys coaching candidates to replace McCarthy next season.
Bill Belichick, former New England Patriots head coach
Bill Belichick will be atop all the Cowboys coaching candidates lists. After all, he’s close to becoming the winningest coach in NFL history and his championship pedigree would certainly be appealing to Dallas. The future Hall of Famer would walk into a situation with an MVP-caliber quarterback in Dak Prescott and All-Pro talent (CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons) on both sides of the ball. Just 27 wins shy of passing Don Shula (328) for the most wins in NFL history, Dallas offers a lot of appeal.
However, there are two obvious drawbacks that could force both sides into feeling like this might not be the right fit. From Belichick’s perspective, he’d be joining a franchise that Jones believes he is the face of and he holds just as many meetings with reporters as the Cowboys head coach. Likewise, The Star in Frisco is just as much a tourist trap as it is the Cowboys practice facility with Jones holding several ways for fans willing to pay the big bucks to watch the team practice. The level of access to the team and the spotlight could be issues for Belichick, especially if he gets other offers.
It also might not be an ideal fit from Jones’ point of view. While hiring Belichick might provide Dallas with its best shot at contention in the next few years, he doesn’t want distractions and might be adamant about having personnel control. Jones has grown accustomed to having the final say on some trades and draft picks, with Belichick’s need for power potentially making him a less appealing option to Jones.
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Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach
Moving onto more realistic Cowboys coaching candidates, Mike Vrabel could be an ideal option. The former Tennessee Titans coach offers some similar traits to Belichick, but he is much younger and could be more flexible with the job he takes. While the ‘circus’ surrounding the Cowboys might be something he’d prefer to avoid, Dallas would seemingly offer him the best chance to win immediately.
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Vrabel is also appealing because he could have a Dan Quinn-like effect on the Cowboys defense. Not only could he help turn this unit around, but he would bring a much-needed culture change to Dallas that could greatly benefit stars like Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. With Vrabel focused on fixing the Cowboys’ culture and defense, it would just take a quality offensive coordinator to get the most out of Lamb and Dak Prescott. While Vrabel might not be quite as appealing as Belichick, he’s more of a long-term solution.
Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans offensive coordinator
Houston Texans offensive coordinator was a big name during the NFL coaching carousel this past offseason, but he stayed with the team for another year. While the 2024 season hasn’t delivered great results for the Texans offense, Slowik is still widely viewed as an excellent offensive mind who will become a head coach.
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As for the Texans’ issues offensively this year, many of them can be attributed to long-term injuries (Joe Mixon, Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins) and a deterioration in play on the offensive line. Slowik is still credited for helping C.J. Stroud become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and as a play-caller, his years learning from Kyle Shanahan have resulted in a run-oriented offense that could appeal to Dallas.
Plus, with a majority of the Cowboys front office remaining in tact next year, Slowik could be an ideal option for Dallas as a head coach focused on play-calling with a veteran defensive coordinator supporting him and the roster dictated in large part by the front office.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Joe Brady first caught the NFL’s attention following his stint with the LSU Tigers in 2019, serving as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator for one of the best offenses in college football history. He turned that into an offensive coordinator gig with the Carolina Panthers but was fired less than two years in.
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The 35-year-old has rebuilt himself and is one of the Cowboys coaching candidates to keep an eye on. He took over as Josh Allen’s quarterbacks coach with the Buffalo Bills in 2023. A year later, amid a playoff chase, Buffalo fired play-caller Ken Dorsey and handed the reigns to Brady. The Bills have had one of the best offenses in the NFL ever since, with Allen cutting down significantly on his turnovers and Buffalo’s run game improving. He would still be one of the youngest coaches in the NFL and there might be an added appeal for Jones since Brady spent time (2017-’18) learning from Sean Payton.
Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator
Speaking of Cowboys coaching candidates with ties to the organization, we’re highlighting the Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator. Among the reasons he might have some appeal to the Cowboys and offers familiarity for Jones, he is the son of former Cowboys coach Wade Phillips.
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Wes Phillips, who turns 46 in February, is a Texas native who previously worked in Dallas from 2007-2013 as an offensive assistant, assistant offensive line coach and then tight ends coach. Phillips has also spent a significant amount of time learning from some of the best NFL coaches, including Sean McVay (2014-’16 and 2019-’21) and Kevin O’Connell.
There would, however, be plenty of risk in hiring Phillips. While he is the Vikings offensive coordinator, O’Connell handles play-calling duties. However, endorsements from O’Connell and McVay paired with his ties to Texas could make Phillips an intriguing name to watch for Dallas.