The Dallas Cowboys parted ways with Mike McCarthy on Monday, Jan. 13, one day before the veteran coach’s contract was set to expire.
It appears Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might make a splash move in an effort to replace his five-year head coach.
Shortly after news of the parting between Dallas and McCarthy spread, it was also revealed that the Cowboys had spoken to Deion Sanders about their coaching position.
Sanders, a former All-Pro defensive back who spent five seasons with the Cowboys, has spent the past five seasons coaching in the college ranks. He started by taking command of Jackson State and turning them into the pride of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in just three years.
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‘Coach Prime’ has spent the past two seasons at Colorado, coaching his sons Shedeur and Shiloh, as well as Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record during the 2024 college football season, which marked Colorado’s first winning season since it went 10-4 in 2016, and just the Buffaloes’ second winning season since 2006.
Sanders’ success has established him as a strong college coach, but could his approach work at the NFL level? And would he even want to take on the Cowboys job if Jones really wants to hire him?
Here’s what to know about Sanders’ candidacy with the Cowboys and why he is looking like a legitimate option to replace McCarthy.
Will Cowboys hire Deion Sanders? Latest rumors, updates
The Cowboys appear to have an interest in Sanders as a candidate for the team’s head coaching job. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports the Colorado coach spoke to Dallas owner Jerry Jones on Monday.
‘While an interview has not been scheduled, the two are expected to continue their dialogue,’ Archer wrote of Sanders and the Cowboys.
Sanders appears to be keeping his options open, however. He addressed his conversation with Jones on Monday night but implied it would be tough to leave Colorado just two years into his stint as the Buffaloes’ head coach.
‘To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,’ Sanders told ESPN. ‘I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.’
As such, it isn’t clear whether Sanders will consider taking on the Dallas job. Even so, he presently ranks as the odds-on favorite to land the job.
Cowboys next head coach odds
DraftKings listed several other candidates as options for the Cowboys, including current Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who held the same role in Dallas for a time under McCarthy.
Below is the full list odds being offered by the book:
Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes head coach: +100
Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator: +250
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator: +350
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator: +450
Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator: +550
Bill Belichick, North Carolina Tar Heels head coach: +650
Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns head coach: +750
Jason Witten, former Dallas Cowboys tight end: +850
Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator: +950
Cowboys coaching candidates
Below is a brief rundown of Dallas’ top options, aside from Sanders, as they look to replace McCarthy:
Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator
Moore spent eight years with the the Cowboys as a player and a coach, including four years as the team’s offensive coordinator. His offenses in Dallas typically fared well – including the 2021 NFL season, during which the Cowboys led the NFL in both points and yards per game – so he should be able to rekindle some of that magic with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb should he return.
Jerry Jones made sure Moore stuck around even after Jason Garrett was fired, so he clearly likes Moore. Expect him to be the favorite if Sanders doesn’t get the gig.
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
Kingsbury is another NFC East offensive coordinator the Cowboys could try to poach. The former Arizona Cardinals head coach led Jayden Daniels to an elite rookie season and helped Washington finish as the No. 4-ranked offense in EPA for 2024. That included a league-best ranking of 0.12 EPA on running plays.
Pairing Kingsbury with Prescott could end up being a boon for Dallas’ offense, and weakening Washington’s offense would be an added bonus. The only question is whether Jones would be scared off of Kingsbury because of his 28-37-1 record as Arizona’s head coach.
Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
Johnson would represent a Sean McVay-like swing for the Cowboys. The 38-year-old has become one of the top regarded offensive minds in the NFL since taking over as Lions offensive coordinator. He has led Detroit to top-five offenses in yards and points per game in each of his first three seasons in that role while turning Jared Goff into a Pro Bowl-level talent.
The Cowboys missed a chance to interview Johnson during his playoff bye week, but if they’re willing to be patient, Dallas could get into the sweepstakes for the offensive wunderkind.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Brady is another up-and-coming offensive coach and could end up being the NFL’s youngest head coach if hired in 2025. The 35-year-old took over Buffalo’s offense midway through the 2023 NFL season and turned it into one of the most efficient and explosive units in the NFL. The Bills finished the 2024 season ranked second league-wide in EPA per play (0.18) while Josh Allen recorded 41 total touchdowns in an MVP-caliber season.
Allen isn’t the only quarterback Brady has coached up during his career. He helped lead Joe Burrow to a historic season as part of LSU’s offense in 2019 and also worked with Drew Brees and Sean Payton before then. Hiring Brady could help Prescott, 31, continue to thrive as he enters the latter half of his NFL career.
Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach
Carroll will turn 74 on eve of the 2025 NFL season, but he reportedly wants to return to the NFL. That could make him an option for the Cowboys as an experienced, Super Bowl-winning coach who has a reputation for being a culture-builder. That could be crucial, considering that McCarthy seemed to be well-liked by his players.
Carroll also has ties to Dan Quinn, who was excellent as Dallas’ defensive coordinator before taking the Commanders’ head-coaching job during the offseason. That, and Carroll’s 170-120-1 career record, should be enough to earn him a look from Jerry Jones and the Cowboys brain trust.
Jason Witten, former Dallas Cowboys tight end
Witten wouldn’t be a coaching candidate anywhere besides Dallas, but Jerry Jones LOVES the potential of his former tight end.
Case and point, Jones was asked whether Witten would have a future as an NFL coach during his weekly appearances on 105.3 The Fan on Nov. 15, 2024.
‘Yes. Without hesitation. Yes,’ Jones said. ‘(Witten) has something that you can’t draw up. He reminds me a lot of our other tight end who is head coach up there in Detroit right now (Dan Campbell).
‘Jason is very sophisticated when it comes to understanding football and all the nuances. But more important than anything, he really does understand the physical and the mentality of being physical and that part of it. Without a question, he could become (an NFL coach). He has extraordinary work ethic. … He can be a top coach.’
Witten may have potential, but he has just four years of experience as a head coach at the high school level. That wouldn’t make him the most advisable hire, but if the 82-year-old wants to give Witten a shot, he could.
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