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Cowboys' next head coach becoming clearer

The Dallas Cowboys are still on the hunt for a new head coach after parting ways with Mike McCarthy and a few candidates are at the top of the list.

The Dallas Cowboys are still on the hunt for a new head coach after parting ways with Mike McCarthy and a few candidates are at the top of the list.
THEARON W. HENDERSONAFP

One thing that sets the Dallas Cowboys apart from other NFL teams is that the owner is also the general manager. As such, Jerry Jones gives little authority to the head coach and this has created problems for the team in the past.

The two most important qualities Jones looks for when hiring a new coach are these: Experience, and familiarity with the Cowboys organization.

An argument against these two criteria would be that the Cowboys may never experience anything new and original, and that would be a great argument. But you try arguing with a stubborn, 82-year-old billionaire.

As it stands, the Cowboys are in the market for a new head coach for the 2025-26 season as they’ve parted ways with Mike McCarthy after a losing season that kept them out of the playoffs. As they recently became the only team in the NFC to not make it to a title game since the turn of the century, they’d really like to find a leader that can take them all the way.

The interviews have begun, and this is where things stand now.

Top candidates for the Cowboys head coach position

While there were some flashy names flying around as potential candidates for the next Cowboys head coach position, they are unlikely to actually happen. Deion Sanders is unlikely to leave his position as the Colorado Buffaloes head coach for Dallas, and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson looks like he may be going to the Las Vegas Raiders next. Bill Belichick (whom I never believed to be a true possibility) has already agreed to coach at UNC, so he’s out as well.

With those three out of the picture and Jones' criteria in mind, the top two candidates at the moment are Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

Kellen Moore

Moore interviewed with the Cowboys last week via Zoom. He has the advantage of being connected with Dallas already as he spent the final three years of his playing career with the Cowboys and moved on to be a part of their coaching staff from 2018 to 2023.

The big questions with Moore are about his leadership and play-calling abilities - pretty important qualities in a head coach. Fans have expressed their concerns about Moore in this area, but they’re not the only ones. Former Cowboys running back and Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith expressed a similar concern.

“Under Kellen, we were just calling damn plays just to be calling plays,” Smith said at the end of the 2022 season, before the Cowboys let him go. “We weren’t building on anything.”

Moore has since found success with the Eagles offense, but his leadership qualities are still a concern.

Robert Saleh

Saleh interviewed with the Cowboys in person over the weekend. He was fired by the Jets on October 8 following a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. In his three full seasons plus five games of the 2024 season with the Jets, Saleh had a 20-36 record.

Saleh is regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the NFL, which is appealing to the Cowboys, whose defense is their bread and butter. In his last two full seasons in New York, the Jets defense was a top five unit in yards allowed per game as well as passing defense. He’d also found success as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers before that. If he’s given a good enough talent to work with as the offensive coordinator, then Saleh could potentially be a good fit in Dallas.

They’ll have competition though, as the Niners are prepared to make Saleh the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL if he signs with them.

Other potential candidates

The Cowboys are also set to have an interview with Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier later today. Former Cowboys tight end and 11-time Pro Bowler Jason Witten has also been talked about as a potential candidate, along with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

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