It has been a few years since Jason Garrett has found himself as a head coach in the football world. The former NFL quarterback was let go by the Dallas Cowboys back in 2019 after leading that team to an 85-67 record in parts of 10 season.
Now, it appears that Garrett could be making his way back to the sideline. According to Stewart Mandel of The Athletic, Garrett has emerged as a finalist for the vacant Stanfard Cardinal job. Mandal goes on to note that Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor is also a finalist to replace David Shaw in Palo Alto.
At this point, it remans to be seen how many other candidates are in the mix for the top-flight job. Stanford has also talked to former BYU and Virginia coach Bronco Mendenhall as well as Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman and former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio.
Related: Stanford Cardinal head coach candidates
Jason Garrett to the Stanford Cardinal would be something
That’s the best way to describe it. Garrett, 56, has pretty much spent his entire football life in the pros after playing quarterback for Princeton. That included an eight-year run as a backup from 1993-2000 with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
As for coaching, Garrett started out in the NFL as the Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach in 2005. He spent two seasons in South Beach before heading to Big D en route to ultimately replacing Wade Phillips mid way through the 2010 season.
Jason Garrett has drawn justifiable criticism for his bland offensive playbook in the pros. After his stint as the Cowboys’ head coach came to a conclusion, he was the Giants’ offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021. That did not go too swimmingly as New York finished 31st in both yards and points each season. There’s 32 teams in the NFL. You can do the math from there.
Troy Taylor could be a better option than Jason Garrett for Stanford
Taylor could make more sense in that he’s seen as an up-and-comer in the college ranks. Sacramento State’s head coach since 2019, he led that program to a 12-0 record during the regular season. They are set to take on Incarnate Word in the FCS Playoffs this week.
Taylor’s previous experience includes being the offensive coordinator for Utah from 2017-18. This span saw him lead an offense that was led by current NFL players Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss. Prior to that, he worked an assistant for CAL from 1996-2000.
As for Stanford, it is in search of a new head coach after Shaw resigned following 12 successful seasons. Unfortunately, they struggled to the tune of a 14-28 record over the past four season. Getting this hire right will be key.