
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy became a free agent on Tuesday night with his contract expiring. With the veteran coach now joining the NFL coaching carousel, already drawing interest from the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, a Cowboys coaching search could be imminent.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones won’t re-sign McCarthy with the team announcing an official parting of ways. Meanwhile, the spectacle Jones has created with the franchise is known to not be what Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson wants to be involved in.
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With that in mind, let’s examine some Dallas Cowboys coaching candidates to replace McCarthy.
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator

We’re starting our list of Cowboys coaching candidates with the up-and-comers of the NFL. A year ago, the Carolina Panthers took a chance on first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and it paid off. Tampa Bay replaced Canales with Liam Coen, who fared even better as a play-caller than his predecessor.
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- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense (2023): 5.1 yards per play (20th), 20.5 PPG (20th), 41.5% third-down conversion rate (10th), 0.008 EPA per Play (12th), 88.8 rush ypg (32nd)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense (2024):Â 6.2 yards per play (4th), 29.7 PPG (4th), 50% third-down conversion rate (2nd), 0.131 EA per Play (5th), 147.3 rush ypg (4th)
Coen, age 39, has spent significant time under Sean McVay (2018-2020,2022). Before that, he did tremendous work as the Kentucky Wildcats offensive coordinator, helping Will Levis look like an NFL-caliber quarterback. This is certainly the kind of offensive mind Dallas might love to pair with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, potentially reigniting a top-10 offense. Even more importantly, Coen’s transformational work could be huge for Rico Dowdle and the Cowboys’ ground game in 2025 and beyond. Plus, Dallas gets a head coach who could be around for years to come.
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Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

Following in line with the trend of young offensive-minded Cowboys coaching candidates is Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Before taking over as Buffalo’s play-caller midway through the 2023 season, he spent time learning from Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints (2017-’18) and he helped the LSU Tigers win the national championship in 2029 as passing game coordinator.
- Buffalo Bills offense (2024): 6.1 yards per play (5th), 50.9% scoring rate (2nd), 31.8 PPG (2nd), 44.4% third-down conversion rate (7th), 70.8% red-zone touchdown rate (2nd), 35.9 yards per drive (7th), 3 points per drive (2nd)
Brady’s first stint as offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers ended disastrously, but he learned from those mistakes and worked his way back up as Josh Allen’s quarterbacks coach. If Dallas wants someone who can both get the most out of Dak Prescott and bring more innovative play-calling, Brady should be a top choice.
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Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns coach

One current unknown during the Cowboys coaching search is how much weight is going to be put into head-coaching experience. Jerry Jones is 82 years old, so he might not have the patience for a first-time head coach who has to learn the ropes of running a team. If that’s the case, Steve Sarkisian is a name to keep an eye on.
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While Sarkisian has never been a head coach at the NFL level, he served as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator from 2017-’18. After that, he worked under Nick Saban as the Alabama Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2019-’20). Now leading the Texas Longhorns, Sarkisian has already been to the College Football Playoff twice and his program is 25-5 in the last two seasons. With his experience as a leader and a background as a play-caller, he could be a compelling option for Dallas.
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator

While Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken isn’t one of the hottest head-coaching candidates right now, that’ll change the further this team keeps advancing through the playoffs. Monken proved his worth as a play-caller for the two-time national champion Georgia Bulldogs and then he immediately helped turn around the Ravens’ offense.
- Baltimore Ravens offense (2022): 5.5 yards per play (14th), 38.9% scoring rate (12th), 82.5 QB rating (23rd), 3.9% Pass TD (18th), 160 rush ypg (2nd), 20.6 PPG (19th), 41.7% third-down conversion rate, 45.8% red-zone TD rate (29th), 1.9 points per drive (19th)
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- Baltimore Ravens offense (2024): 6.8 yards per play (1st), 47% scoring rate (5th), 119.4 QB rating (1st), 8.6% Pass TD (1st), 187.6 rush ypg (1st), 30.5 PPG (3rd), 48.2% third-down conversion rate (3rd), 74.2% red-zone TD rate (1st), 2.8 points per drive (3rd)
There also shouldn’t be concerns about Monken’s offensive prowess not translating to a quarterback change. He made things work at Georgia with Stetson Bennett and achieved excellent success. Even with Dak Prescott not operating as much of a rushing threat anymore, Monken could fix the Cowboys’ rushing attack and create a highly effective passing game to complement it.
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Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator

Rounding out our list of Dallas Cowboys coaching candidates is one of the riskiest gambles Jerry Jones could pursue. Kliff Kingsbury failed as a head coach with the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Arizona Cardinals, each time having a gifted quarterback (Patrick Mahomes and Kyler Murray) to work with. With that acknowledged, he’s a Texas native and a marquee name with a well-known prowess as an offensive play-caller.
- Washington Commanders stats (2023): 5.0 yards per play (24th), 29.4% scoring rate (28th), 93.6 rush ypg (27th), 81.6 QB rating (26th), 35.6% third-down conversion rate (25th), 1.68 points per drive (24th), 26.9 yards per drive (24th)
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- Washington Commanders stats (2024): 5.9 yards per play (10th), 52.2% scoring rate (1st), 156.9 rush ypg (3rd), 100.9 QB rating (8th), 44.1% third-down conversion rate (6th), 2.76 points per drive (3rd), 36.6 yards per drive (3rd)
Jones might also see hiring Kingsbury as a chance to hurt the Washington Commanders. He’s been excellent with Jayden Daniels this season and Dallas poaching him would mean learning a new system in 2025. Jones could easily justify bringing Kingsbury home to Texas, citing both his experience as a head coach and his track record with offenses. However, there’s plenty of risk that the Cowboys would experience the same fate as Texas Tech and Arizona.
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