In an unexpected move, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have decided to let head coach Mike McCarthy walk out the door.
With his contract set to expire, it had been thought that the two sides were in the process of working out a new deal.
However, Jones and the Dallas front office decided it was best to head in a different direction.
The surprising decision comes after a disappointing 2024 season, in which the Cowboys finished with a 7-10 record.
McCarthy’s contract, which had been in place for five years, expired, leaving him with an overall coaching record of 49-35 in Dallas.
According to reports, McCarthy and the Cowboys had discussions regarding the end of the season. However, the two sides failed to agree on key terms of a potential new deal, particularly related to the length of the contract and compensation.
Despite leading the Cowboys to three consecutive 12-win seasons, McCarthy’s tenure was marred by a series of playoff disappointments, most notably a home blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in last year’s Wild Card round.
Jones gave McCarthy one final season to prove himself, despite the coach and many members of his staff entering the final year of their contracts.
However, once again, the Cowboys were unable to make significant progress, reinforcing the growing narrative of their inability to succeed in the big picture.
With McCarthy’s departure, the Cowboys now join a growing list of teams searching for new leadership.
Along with Dallas, six other NFL franchises – Chicago, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Jacksonville, and the New York Jets – are also currently without head coaches.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots have already made their move, hiring Mike Vrabel to replace Jerod Mayo after a single season at the helm.
Here are some of the potential targets for the Cowboys…
Candidates Who Have Head Coaching Experience
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy
Former Commanders and Panthers coach Ron Rivera
Former Jets and Bills coach Rex Ryan
Former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll
Former Jets coach Robert Saleh
Former Jaguars and Eagles coach Doug Pederson
Candidates Who Have Ties To Dallas
Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore
Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips (son of Wade)
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing
Colorado coach Deion Sanders
Other Assistants Who Are Getting Plenty of Hype
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady
Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter
College coaches (or former college coaches)
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman
Former Stanford coach David Shaw
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian
