Dallas Cowboys coaching candidates: Some names you should know

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Mike Doocy on Cowboys-McCarthy split

Mike Doocy weighs in with his first thoughts about the Dallas Cowboys choosing not to renew head coach Mike McCarthy's contract.

The head coaching search is on for the Dallas Cowboys.

The team will not bring back Mike McCarthy for another season as head coach. McCarthy's deal will officially come to an end on Jan. 14.

"We will commence a search process immediately to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys," Jerry Jones said in a statement on Monday.

Here are a few names you should know for possible McCarthy replacements.

Ben Johnson - Offensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 15: Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions looks on in the fourth quarter of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field on December 15, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images …

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is expected to be one of the hottest names on the coaching market this offseason.

Pros: Johnson led the explosive Lions offense to be the highest-scoring team in the league, putting up 33.2 points per game. 

The Lions offense finished second in the league in yards per game.

Johnson's creative play-calling has been credited with part of the Lions turnaround.

Cons: Johnson does not have any head coaching experience.

There is also a great deal of competition for the offensive coordinator.

Johnson has conducted interviews with the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars in recent weeks.

Kellen Moore - Offensive Coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 29: Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty I …

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and coordinator Kellen Moore could be an option if they are willing to bring him back.

Pros: Jerry Jones, at one time, believed in Moore.

The former quarterback began to work on the Cowboys coaching staff under Jason Garrett and was kept on as offensive coordinator even after the Cowboys hired Mike McCarthy.

Moore has been a good friend on Dak Prescott and the two have put together strong statistical seasons together.

In Philadelphia, Moore (with the help of Saquon Barkley) seemingly cured the Eagles offense which struggled mightily at the end of last season.

Cons: One of the Cowboys' big moves after the 2023 playoff loss was to part ways with Moore.

Prescott put together his best statistical regular season away from Moore in the 2023-2024 season.

Jon Gruden - Former Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach

Then-Raiders head coach Jon Gruden runs off the field for halftime during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 10, 2021, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Former Super Bowl champion Jon Gruden could be available for the Cowboys job.

Pros: Gruden won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay in 2002.

Gruden has lots of head coaching experience, with a lifetime 117-112 record.

The hard-nosed coach could be a culture-setter in Dallas that Jones appears to be want in his next head coach.

Cons: Gruden's last head coaching stint was not as successful as previous stops.

He was 22-31 in a little over three years as head coach of the Raiders from 2018 to 2021.

Gruden resigned after several emails to Washington general manager Bruce Allen with racist, misogynistic and homophobic language were made public.

Gruden was removed from the Buccaneers Ring of Honor in 2017 as a result of the emails.

Kliff Kingsbury - Offensive Coordinator, Washington Commanders

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 8: Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsburg of the Washington Commanders stands on the sidelines during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on September 8, 202 …

Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is a name that has come up for open jobs around the league.

Pros: Kingsbury has head coaching experience at both the college and NFL level, leading the Arizona Cardinals and Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn hired Kingsbury to run the Washington Commanders offense this year.

The Commanders' offense under Kingsbury and new quarterback Jayden Daniels performed very well this season.

Washington was seventh in the league in yards per game during the regular season after finishing 24th in 2023.

Cons: While Kingsbury's offenses have excelled at times, his overall record as head coach leaves a bit to be desired.

In his time as Cardinals head coach, Arizona went 28-37-1.

Some have questioned if Kingsbury wants to jump back into a head coaching role right away.

Joe Brady - Offensive Coordinator, Buffalo Bills

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JUNE 11: Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady and Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills look on during Bills minicamp on June 11, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

Buffalo Bills coordinator Joe Brady could be an option as well.

Pros: Brady's offense has performed well in multiple stops.

He worked as an offensive assistant under Sean Payton with the New Orleans before catching the attention of the college football world as a coordinator.

Joe Brady was the offensive coordinator for the national championship-winning LSU Tigers  in 2019 with Joe Burrow was under center.

In 2020, he went back to the NFL, first as a coordinator for the Carolina Panthers under head coach Matt Rhule and then as a coach and coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.

Cons: Brady does not have head coaching experience.

Brady's success has come with high-caliber quarterbacks like Joe Burrow and Josh Allen.

His offense struggled when he was the coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.

Robert Saleh - Former Head Coach, New York Jets

NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: Robert Saleh of the New York Jets looks on from the sideline during an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Nashville, TN. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh could also be an option for the Cowboys.

Pros: If the Cowboys are looking for experience at head coach, Saleh could be an option.

Saleh was fired after a disappointing season with the New York Jets, but he has been credited with building strong defenses in the past.

Saleh was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2020 before taking the Jets job.

Cons: Saleh's Jets teams have struggled.

He was fired after 5 games this season, posting a 20-36 record in a little more than three seasons.

Brian Flores - Defensive Coordinator, Minnesota Vikings

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - DECEMBER 16: Brian Flores defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 16, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Bears …

Brian Flores is another top coordinator expected to get head coaching buzz.

Pros: The Minnesota Vikings' defense under Flores has been one of the surprises of the season.

The Vikings defense was fifth in the league in points allowed, giving up just 19.5 points per game.

Flores worked as a defensive coach under Bill Belichick in New England for much of his career, winning four Super Bowls. 

He also has head coaching experience, leading the Miami Dolphins from 2019-2021.

The Dolphins posted a winning record in two of the three seasons under Flores.

Cons: The end of Flores' tenure in Miami came with fireworks.

He posted a 24-25 record in three seasons and was fired after not reaching the playoffs in any of his three seasons.

Flores filed a lawsuit in 2022, accusing the Dolphins of firing him because he is Black and the New York Giants, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos for not hiring him because of discriminatory reasons.

Steve Spagnuolo - Defensive Coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 15: Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on during the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on December 15, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Dia …

Steve Spagnuolo is a former head coach who has also led the Super Bowl-winning Chiefs defense in recent years.

Pros: While the Chiefs' offense gets much of the attention from fans, Spagnuolo's defense has been solid for years.

Spagnuolo was named the Chiefs' defensive coordinator in January 2019.

He has won four Super Bowls, three with the Chiefs and one with the Giants under Tom Coughlin.

Cons: Spagnuolo was hired as a head coach by the St. Louis Rams in 2009.

In three seasons with the team, he posted a 10-38 record.

Aaron Glenn - Defensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 22: Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn of the Detroit Lions looks on during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Cowboys could also look to the other side of the ball from the top-seeded Lions.

Pros: Aaron Glenn's defense finished seventh in points allowed per game.

Glenn played for the Cowboys in 2005 and 2006. 

Cons: Glenn has worked his way up from personnel scout with the Jets to the defensive coordinator position with former Cowboys' teammate Dan Campbell.

He has never been a head coach in the NFL.

Deion Sanders - Head Coach, Colorado

SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 28:  Deion Sanders head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes greets his team before the start of their game against the BYU Cougars in the Valero Alamo Bowl at Alamodome on December 28, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Rona …

We all know Jerry Jones loves to make a splash and there would be no splashier hire than Deion Sanders.

Pros: Sanders is a big name and is considered to be a culture-setter.

The former All-Pro defensive back won the Super Bowl with the Cowboys in 1995 and has the backing of some of his former teammates.

During the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, Michael Irvin hinted that he was talking to Jerry about potentially hiring Sanders.

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Michael Irvin to talk to Jerry about Deion?

At the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight Michael Irvin says he plans to talk to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about Deion Sanders. Paul vs. Tyson is now available to watch globally on Netflix.

Cons: Take away the name and a Sanders hire doesn't make much sense.

Deion has not coached at the professional level and only has a 13-12 record since taking the head coaching job at Colorado.

Jason Witten - Head Coach, Liberty Christian

Liberty Christian head coach Jason Witten encourages his team in warm ups during practice at Warrior Stadium at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. (Chris Torres/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Gett …

Another splashy hire could be former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.

In an interview with 105.3 The Fan last year, Jones said that Witten could have a future as an NFL head coach.

Pros: Witten is an all-timer as a player, with an incredible work ethic.

Jones compared Witten to fellow former Cowboys tight end Dan Campbell when it comes to mentality.

Cons: While much of our list cites a lack of coaching experience, no one on the list has as little professional coaching experience as Witten.

Witten is currently the head coach of Liberty Christian in Argyle.

The Source: Information in this article comes from the NFL and past FOX 4 coverage.

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