On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys officially decided to move on from head coach Mike McCarthy, whose contract with the organization was up. After weighing McCarthy’s future, owner Jerry Jones ultimately opted not to renew his deal.
Not long after McCarthy left the organization, Jones contacted Cowboys legend Deion Sanders about the head coach vacancy.
Jerry Jones, Deion Sanders Discuss Cowboys’ Opening
Jones and Sanders have already talked about the Cowboys’ opening, and Coach Prime is “considered a top candidate” for the gig, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Sanders confirmed his interest in the job and his conversation with Jones.
“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Deion Sanders told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday night. “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.”
“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Deion Sanders told ESPN on Monday night. “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,… pic.twitter.com/OMossS9iOx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2025
While the Cowboys are still going to interview other candidates, there’s a real possibility that Sanders will take over the team he once played for (or, at the very least, be a finalist for the job).
Discussions will continue between Sanders and Jones in the coming days.
Right after McCarthy’s deal wasn’t renewed, it didn’t take long for NFL fans and analysts to start connecting the dots and speculating that Sanders would be the Cowboys’ next head coach.
Even before Schultz’s report, Bovada had Sanders as the favorite to land the Cowboys’ head coaching job.
Coach Prime has better odds than Buffalo’s Joe Brady, Detroit’s Ben Johnson, Houston’s Bobby Slowik, Kansas City’s Matt Nagy, and broadcaster Tony Romo.
Who will be HC of the #DallasCowboys for week 1 in 2025?
Deion Sanders EVEN
Joe Brady +200
Ben Johnson +325
Bobby Slowik +1000
Matt Nagy +1800
Tony Romo +2800 pic.twitter.com/tBvQ6xZ41j— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) January 13, 2025
With Jones wanting to make a splash and ensure that Dallas will remain the talk of the sports world, it makes sense to pursue the former Cowboys legend.
Sanders did a terrific job coaching the Colorado Buffaloes this season, leading them to a 9-4 record and producing a pair of potential top-five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft (Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter).
Dallas Cowboys head coach Deion Sanders?
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) January 13, 2025
Sanders and Jones have a close relationship, which may have helped him get an audience with Jones. Sanders was a star cornerback for Dallas from 1995-1999, helping the team win a Super Bowl.
KEEP READING: Top 6 Candidates to Replace Mike McCarthy As Dallas’ Next Coach
Sanders had a Hall-of-Fame career and earned a number of accolades, including an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, eight All-Pro selections, eight Pro Bowl nods, and a spot on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team and 1990s All-Decade Team.
Deion Sanders, congratulations on becoming the 10th head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. #NFL pic.twitter.com/iQzk2MGXEn
— Stoolies🏴☠️ (@SpacesStoolies) January 13, 2025
As a coach, Jackson has had successful stints at Jackson State and Colorado, and he has an all-time record of 40-18. Just as he was during his playing days, Coach Prime is polarizing because he’s brash and doesn’t lack confidence.
Given Sanders’ rise to prominence in the coaching world and his connections to Jones and the Cowboys, it isn’t surprising that Jones is talking with Coach Prime about the opening.
Why Did Dallas Move On From McCarthy?
McCarthy went 49-35 in five seasons with the Cowboys, winning just seven games this year. Dallas went 12-5 in McCarthy’s second, third, and fourth seasons but earned no more than one playoff win in those three appearances.
Jones, the Cowboys’ owner, president, and general manager, released the following statement about the decision to move on from McCarthy.
“Throughout Mike McCarthy’s tenure here, including the last several weeks, I have been very complimentary of the job he has done,” Jones said. “That has applied to our record over that time period, our team unity and culture, Mike’s qualifications and track record of success, and on a personal level as a tremendous human being. I have great respect for Mike, and he has led the team through some very unique and challenging times during his tenure.
“Over the past week, Mike and I had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and staff, and also spent considerable time discussing the road forward for the team. These discussions were thorough and received an appropriate amount of time and depth to cover.
“Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction,” Jones added. “I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica, and their family the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here. We will commence a search process immediately to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”
Here’s a look at what went wrong during McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas.
Penalty Prone
It’s hard enough to get opposing offenses off the field in today’s game and even harder when you give away yardage. This season, only three teams committed more penalties than the Cowboys.
If this was a one-year issue, it could be overlooked, but that’s not the case. Dallas was whistled for the eight fewest penalties per game in the three seasons prior to McCarthy’s arrival, but during his five seasons, they averaged a league-high 6.8 infractions per game.
Bending and Breaking
Twice during the McCarthy era, Dallas posted a bottom-10 Defense+ grade from our custom metric, and the inability to force teams to settle was the culprit this season (ranking 32nd in red zone defensive efficiency).
If you look over the past two seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens are both top-four red zone defenses and both rank among the top-four in win percentage.
This league rewards offense in a major way, thus putting an extreme level of importance on a team’s ability to hold their opponent to field goal attempts, something that was a clear weakness during McCarthy’s final season at the helm in Dallas.
Results/Regression
This is a results-driven business, especially when playing for a marquee franchise. The Cowboys finished with a losing record just once in nine seasons prior to bringing in McCarthy (who had eight double-digit win seasons with the Packers), but they have had two such seasons in five years since making the move.
The three 12-win seasons in the middle of those disappointing seasons are what this franchise expects, making the valleys more notable than the peaks.
McCarthy initially struggled with the hand he was dealt on both sides of the ball, but he corrected course in a major way for a three-year stretch before regressing in a major way this season. There were obviously some major injuries to take into account, but these grades are reflective of the entire season, and there is no way around the regression that took place.
Defense+:
- 2020: D (ranking: 24th)
- 2021: B- (ranking: 4th)
- 2022: B+ (ranking: 1st)
- 2023: B (ranking: 5th)
- 2024: D+ (ranking: 25th)
Offense+:
- 2020: C (ranking: 23rd)
- 2021: B(ranking: 8th)
- 2022: B- (ranking: 7th)
- 2023: B (ranking: 4th)
- 2024: D+ (ranking: 23rd)
Now, McCarthy will hit the open market as a coaching free agent, and he’s expected to draw interest from the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears, among other teams with a head coach vacancy.