The Dallas Cowboys coaching search is on after the franchise officially parted ways on Monday with head coach Mike McCarthy. As McCarthy immediately lands head-coaching interviews with the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears, with others potentially to follow, the Cowboys coaching search is just beginning.
Dallas already made a blunder this offseason. Because Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t officially part ways with McCarthy until Monday, the team missed the interview window to interview candidates like Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
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As a result, Johnson and other top head-coach candidates on Super Bowl contenders can’t be interviewed until their current team is eliminated from the playoffs. Meanwhile, teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets and the Jaguars have already interviewed those same candidates.
However, there are already NFL rumors emerging regarding names being tied to the Cowboys coaching search. ESPN‘s Adam Schefter reported that former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten along with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore could be on Jones’s radar. Jones also spoke with Colorado Buffaloes head coach and former Cowboys’ legend Deion Sanders.
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Meanwhile, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Monday that former Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Peterson, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury along with former NFL coaches Jon Gruden and Pete Carroll are among potential Cowboys coaching candidates.
Gruden’s name popped up in NFL rumors earlier this month with reports that he is on the radar for multiple teams but no interviews have been scheduled as of yet. It’s worth noting that, much like Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Gruden has an ongoing lawsuit against the NFL right now.
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Witten, age 42, is currently the head coach at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. Liberty has won consecutive state championships, but Witten doesn’t have any coaching experience at the NFL level.
Ultimately, the Cowboys coaching search might not end up attracting the upper-tier coaching candidates. Jones has created a bit of a spectacle with the franchise and that added attention he covets could push several top options, like Johnson, away.