10 Cowboys head coaching candidates to replace Mike McCarthy
As of this moment, Mike McCarthy is still gainfully employed as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. That said, the odds are rapidly increasing that the coach’s contract will be allowed to expire at the conclusion of the season, as the Cowboys are in the midst of a four-game losing streak and facing the reality that Dak Prescott will miss the rest of the year.
This begs the question of who might replace McCarthy when, not if, the job becomes available. Looking around the league, there are quite a few hot names in the coaching world that could be contenders in Dallas. While there will surely be some interest among fans in plucking a coach from the college ranks (Deion Sanders, anyone?), Jerry Jones has been pretty adamant that such a move can’t work in the modern NFL.
Without further ado, and as the regular season keeps on rolling, here are 10 names to watch as potential candidates for the top job with America’s Team.
Ben Johnson
Current role: Lions offensive coordinator
The skinny: Ben Johnson has been the hottest head coaching candidate for a while now. He’s built one of the most explosive offenses in the league over the last three years, turned Jared Goff’s career around, and frequently makes opposing defenses’ heads spin with his game plans.
Why it’ll happen: Johnson’s name will be at the top of every hiring team’s list. Jerry Jones believes the Cowboys deserve the very best – it’s why he swooped Mike McCarthy out from the Panthers last time around – and he may throw everything he has at landing the biggest name
Why it won’t: Johnson has been picky in previous hiring cycles. He was reportedly the frontrunner for the Commanders job last year, but took himself out of consideration over concerns with the new ownership group not being committed enough to football. The Cowboys’ own fans don’t believe Jerry Jones is committed enough; will Johnson?
Bill Belichick
Current role: TV analyst
The skinny: Everyone knows who Bill Belichick is. Arguably the greatest head coach of all time and winner of six Super Bowls, Belichick parted ways with the Patriots after going 29-38 following Tom Brady’s departure. He’s done several football media gigs this past year, reminding everyone of his incredibly deep knowledge of the game.
Why it’ll happen: This seems like a no-brainer for Jerry Jones. Both he and Belichick have talked in the past about nearly working together at various points, and Belichick reportedly has built a good relationship with Stephen Jones from their time together on the NFL Competition Committee.
Why it won’t: For starters, he’ll be 73 years old when the new season kicks off. How much longevity does Belichick have? Also, Belichick had total control of the roster in New England, and he wouldn’t have that in Dallas no matter what promises Jones makes to him.
Bobby Slowik
Current role: Texans offensive coordinator
The skinny: The son of longtime NFL defensive coach Bob Slowik, Bobby Slowik started out as a defensive assistant in Washington on a staff that included Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, and Mike McDaniel. Later, Slowik joined Shanahan’s 49ers on defense before switching over to offense. After rising through the ranks, he followed DeMeco Ryans to Houston last year to run the offense and immediately saw success with rookie C.J. Stroud.
Why it’ll happen: The Shanahan coaching tree is hot right now, and Slowik hails from it. His quick success with the Texans has made him a hot commodity, and his football bloodline helps. Plus, he could modernize the Cowboys offense, something it seriously needs right now.
Why it won’t: Slowik is just 37 years old and his second season running the offense hasn’t been as great as last year. There’s a feeling that Slowik still needs to marinate as a coordinator before making the jump. And the Cowboys are not a team that can wait for a head coach to learn on the job.
Aaron Glenn
Current role: Lions defensive coordinator
The skinny: A former star defensive back, Aaron Glenn has enjoyed similar success as a coach. He oversaw the development of several star defensive backs in New Orleans before becoming a key figure in the Lions rebuild under Dan Campbell. He’s had multiple head coaching interviews in the last two cycles and it seems to be a question of when, not if.
Why it’ll happen: Glenn is a Texas native that played for the Aggies. He also played for the Cowboys in the Parcells era. He even has front office experience, having been the GM of a startup league team based in Houston before two years as a scout for the Jets.
Why it won’t: Glenn hasn’t been as picky as his fellow coordinator, Ben Johnson, but he also isn’t in a rush to leave Detroit. He’s also very close with Parcells, as is Dan Campbell, and that could color his perception of what it’s like to be Jerry Jones’ head coach.
Brian Flores
Current role: Vikings defensive coordinator
The skinny: Brian Flores grew into a coaching star under Belichick, holding a variety of front office and coaching positions with the Patriots. He turned it into the Dolphins head coaching gig, where he became the first coach in nearly two decades to post consecutive winning seasons for the Dolphins. Despite that, Miami fired him, and the reasons why are a point of contention. Since then, Flores had a one-year stint with the Steelers before going to Minnesota, where he’s turned the Vikings from one of the league’s worst defenses to one of the very best.
Why it’ll happen: Flores offers much of the same appeal of Belichick – grit, accountability, experience – but at nearly half his age. His Dolphins tenure will prompt plenty of questions, mostly around the offense, but Flores’ last two years working under Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has granted him access to the Shanahan/McVay directory of offensive coordinator candidates.
Why it won’t: The case against Flores in Dallas starts off the field. Flores is suing the NFL over alleged racism in hiring practices. Jerry Jones may not want to get involved with that issue. Beyond that, Flores has been accused of mistreating Tua Tagovailoa in Miami, though fellow Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has defended Flores while others believe he has softened his approach since his firing. Either way, Flores’ approach on offense is a major question mark in his candidacy, and he’ll have to come with detailed answers in any interview.
Liam Coen
Current role: Buccaneers offensive coordinator
The skinny: After a lengthy career in the FCS, Liam Coen got called up to the Rams staff in 2018, where he learned under Sean McVay. He left for a brief, successful stint running the Kentucky Wildcats offense before coming back as McVay’s offensive coordinator. He then went back to Kentucky before taking the Buccaneers job this year, where he’s managed to maintain the momentum Baker Mayfield built last year, even as injuries have plagued Tampa Bay’s offense.
Why it’ll happen: Coen is becoming a trendy head coaching candidate, and for good reason. He’s had success at both the college and NFL level and comes from the McVay tree. His FCS background also exposed him to a wide variety of unique schemes.
Why it won’t: Similar to Slowik, Coen is still pretty green at just 38 years old. This is just his first year calling plays at the NFL level, though he’s got four seasons of experience in college. Dallas may want someone more prepared for the top job from day one.
Kellen Moore
Current role: Eagles offensive coordinator
The skinny: We all remember Kellen Moore, right? The former Boise State star was Dak Prescott’s backup for a while, then his quarterbacks coach, then his coordinator. And Moore had some good years calling plays, too. His time in Dallas ended on a sour note, but now he’s finding success in Philadelphia.
Why it’ll happen: Consider this Jason Garrett 2.0 as far as the sentimentality aspect goes. It’s not much of a secret that Jerry Jones once viewed Moore as the future head coach in Dallas, and now may be his chance. Plus, with the Eagles starting to fly high, Moore’s stock is going up once again.
Why it won’t: Moore’s departure from Dallas wasn’t exactly positive. It’s believed that the decision was mostly made by Mike McCarthy, but Jones still signed off on it. Is there bad blood here? Or would Moore be happy to come back to Dallas once they’ve booted the guy who “fired” him?
Mike Vrabel
Current role: Browns consultant
The skinny: Mike Vrabel was shockingly fired by the Titans after going 54-45 in six seasons, including three straight playoff appearances. His Titans teams were always extremely physical, fundamentally sound, and found ways to win ugly games. Basically the opposite of what the Cowboys have been this whole century.
Why it’ll happen: Vrabel, who played eight seasons for the Patriots, brings a similar appeal as Bill Belichick. Both coaches are known to be intense and have a penchant for winning on the margins. In his first four seasons, Vrabel led the Titans to a 41-24 record and reached the AFC Championship game once; he did all that with Ryan Tannehill under center, too.
Why it won’t: Vrabel’s biggest downfall in Tennessee was an offense that relied too heavily on its star running back and lacked creativity in the passing game. The Cowboys need offensive creativity right now, so hiring Vrabel might result in more of the same problems.
Zac Robinson
Current role: Falcons offensive coordinator
The skinny: A former star quarterback at Oklahoma State who overlapped with Dez Bryant, Robinson began his coaching career in 2019 with the Rams after working as an analyst at Pro Football Focus. He gradually rose through the ranks under McVay before taking the Falcons offensive coordinator job this season. He’s quickly implemented the McVay scheme and has the Falcons clicking on all cylinders, with Kirk Cousins in the midst of one of his best years ever.
Why it’ll happen: Robinson is a rising star who comes from the McVay tree and has already shown an ability to rejuvenate veteran quarterbacks’ careers, both with Matthew Stafford and now Cousins. Plus, his background with PFF may make him more appealing to an organization that’s massively expanded its analytics department the last two years.
Why it won’t: Like many of the offensive coordinators on this list, Robinson is still young and inexperienced. In fact, Robinson is the least experienced coach on this list, with just six seasons worth of coaching experience at any level.
Todd Monken
Current role: Ravens offensive coordinator
The skinny: A longtime college coach whose career began back in 1989, Todd Monken has a lengthy but impressive résumé. Most recently, he ran the Georgia Bulldogs offense and guided Stetson Bennett to two national titles before joining the Ravens. His first year in Baltimore saw Lamar Jackson grow significantly as a passer and win his second MVP award, and so far this year Jackson is putting up even better numbers.
Why it’ll happen: Monken has the unique distinction of being a top offensive coordinator in the league who also has loads of experience and has worked in a wide variety of schemes. He’s also been a head coach before, going 13-25 at Southern Miss, and comes from a long family line of football coaches.
Why it won’t: For starters, Monken is about to turn 59 years old. Would the Cowboys want to hitch their wagon to a younger coach? Additionally, Monken is known for his gruff and blunt personality, which may not jive so well with ownership. And, really, that’s the biggest factor in any coach the Cowboys ultimately end up hiring.
