The next Dallas Cowboys head coach will be the 10th since the franchise's 1960 founding, and the ninth since Jerry Jones purchased the team and controversially (and rightfully) fired Tom Landry in 1989.
Jones's previous eight hires reflect his overall stewardship of the franchise: all over the place, with no clear direction or consistent philosophy. Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells held this job; so did Chan Gailey and Dave Campo.
The one through-line in Jones's previous eight hires boils down to one aspect: power. Jones hired Johnson and Parcells when he had very little of it. Johnson came aboard when Jones was brand-new to the NFL. Johnson immediately built a winner, and it was the worst thing that ever happened to the Cowboys, because it built a desire for Jones to get credit for something he is utterly incapable of doing: building a championship-level football team.
Jones hired Parcells when the Cowboys were at rock-bottom: coming off three straight 5-11 seasons during the scraping-the-barrel era of the 1990s dynasty, and playing in dilapidated Texas Stadium. Parcells built the roster back up while allowing Jones to focus on getting AT&T Stadium built, and now here we are.
The next three Cowboys head coaches -- Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, Mike McCarthy -- took the job with the understanding that Jones was the true head coach of the team, and McCarthy's replacement will have to agree to the same terms or he won't be the next Cowboys head coach. Or, I should say, "head coach."
“[When] I bought the team, I think the first thing to come out of my mouth . . . somebody asked, ‘Did you buy this for your kids?’ I said, ‘Hell no. I bought it for me.’ And I didn’t buy an investment. I bought an occupation, and I bought something I was going to do," Jones told The Athletic last week.
“I was 46 [years old]. I bought something I was going to do for the rest of my life. That’s what I’m doing. So, no. The facts are, since I have to decide where the money is spent, then you might as well cut all of the bullshit out. That’s who’s making the call anyways.”
The Cowboys are Jerry Jones's monument to himself, and the head coach is merely a vessel within that.
Within those restraints, the next Cowboys coach will also inherit a roster coming off a 7-10 season that was headed for a sub-.500 record well before Dak Prescott's season-ending injury.
Prescott, 32 and coming off a second season-ending injury in five years, signed a 4-year, $240 million extension at the dawn of the 2024 season that keeps him under contract through 2028. The Cowboys will look to contend as long as he's on the roster, and as wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and defensive end Micah Parsons remain in their primes. At the same time, the Cowboys did next to nothing in free agency last spring and COO Stephen Jones said this spring will be more of the same.
So, who wants this job? As a longtime Cowboys observer, the list starts here.
Kellen Moore
Why it makes sense: Highly respected by the Jones family, Moore graduated from reserve quarterback to position coach, then to coordinator. He remained coordinator from the Jason Garrett regime to McCarthy at the Jones family's recommendation. Moore was getting head coaching interviews while he was the Cowboys' OC, so this would be a full-circle opportunity with personnel he's familiar with.
Why it doesn't: Moore had only coached in Dallas through the 2022 season. Coaching for the Chargers (2023) and Eagles (this season) could have broadened his horizons beyond how things are done at The Star.
Kliff Kingsbury
Why it makes sense: A New Braunfels, Texas, native and a former Texas Tech quarterback, becoming the Dallas Cowboys head coach would make him the most prominent football figure (well, second most behind his boss) in his home state.
Why it doesn't: Kingsbury is happiest when he can grind tape and call plays and not have to deal with the nonsense that comes with head coaching, and coaching the Cowboys comes with lots of nonsense. Considering the Arizona Cardinals are still paying out his contract through 2026, getting paid to be a head coach with the duties of an offensive coordinator is actually is happy place.
Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, etc.
Why it makes sense: In a rare display of humility and self-awareness, Jones pays what it takes and cedes the necessary control in order to pry Offensive Coordinator Du Jour away from their current situations and their suitors on the open market.
Why it doesn't: Jerry Jones exists.
Pete Carroll
Why it makes sense: Already the youngest 73-year-old in America, Carroll is reenergized after a year away from the sidelines. He's already one of three coaches to win a championship at the college and NFL levels, taking the Cowboys job could give him the opportunity to -- go with me here -- become the first head coach to lead multiple franchises to Super Bowl victories.
Why it doesn't: Jones is in search of a more-long term solution than a candidate nine years his junior.
Jon Gruden
Why it makes sense: In McCarthy, Jones sought an offensive-minded head coach with Super Bowl jewelry. Maybe he just hired the wrong one. Gruden was the one head coach who figured out how to win with the Raiders, an organization with a similar culture to Dallas, and one who Jones has long admired. The controversy that pushed Gruden out in Las Vegas was years ago now, and came in a different time in our country.
Why it doesn't: Gruden remains persona non grata in NFL circles.
Deion Sanders
Why it makes sense: Deion's connection to the Cowboys is obvious, and his Coach Prime era proves he knows how to build a team. Do two people in football know how to attract the spotlight more than Jerry Jones and Deion Sanders?
Why it doesn't: Aside from the obvious, due to the Prescott contract, there is virtually zero avenue for the Cowboys to draft Shedeur Sanders.
Steve Sarkisian
Why it makes sense: Sarkisian has garnered respect across the football world in the way he's reclaimed his career following his well-publicized battle with alcoholism a decade ago. In going 25-5 over the past two years at Texas, Sarkisian has proven he can call plays and build a program at the same time. His two years with the Falcons garnished his desire to coach at the game's highest level.
Why it doesn't: You don't spend two years recruiting Arch Manning, then two more developing him, only to leave when it's finally his turn to play.
Jason Witten
Why it makes sense: One of the most beloved players in franchise history, Witten grew extremely close with the Joneses during his 16 years as a Cowboy, and has won two straight state championships at the high school level.
Why it doesn't: Witten has a better job now.