Cowboys coaching candidates: Who will replace Mike McCarthy in Dallas?

Mike McCarthy’s time with the Dallas Cowboys is coming to an end.

The 61-year-old coach’s contract with the team expires on Tuesday. The two parties couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal, so each is expected to seek a new beginning after a five-year partnership.

McCarthy posted a 49-35 record during his five seasons with the Cowboys, including three consecutive 12-5 seasons over the middle three years of his term. Dallas made the playoffs in those three campaigns but went just 1-3 in those appearances.

The Cowboys posted a 7-10 record during McCarthy’s final season, marred by injuries to star players Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. The veteran coach will now look to lead his third NFL team as he seeks a second Super Bowl ring.

Meanwhile, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys will go back to the drawing board as they look for a new coach. Who might Dallas’ top candidates be? Here’s a breakdown of some of the top options available.

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Cowboys coaching candidates: 8 Mike McCarthy replacements

Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator

If the Cowboys look for a familiar face to help replace McCarthy, they could look toward Moore. He spent eight years in Dallas as a player and a coach, including four seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator. He routinely helped the team finish ranked among the best offenses in the NFL, including when Dallas led the NFL in both points and yards per game during the 2021 NFL season. That should allow Moore to quickly identify and implement a plan to get the most out of Dallas’ playmakers given his familiarity with guys like CeeDee Lamb.

Moore also performed well as a coordinator in 2024, his first season with the Eagles. Philadelphia finished the season ranked sixth in offensive EPA per play (0.1) and fourth in EPA per running play (0.09). Under his guidance, Saquon Barkley finished as a 2,000-yard rusher, so Jones could envision Moore getting a lot out of CeeDee Lamb, Rico Dowdle,and others in 2025 and beyond.

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.

The idea of pairing Kingsbury with Prescott in a vertical offense built around Lamb, KaVontae Turpin and Jake Ferguson should intrigue the Cowboys. While Kingsbury had only a middling record as the Cardinals’ head coach (28-37-1), he could be better prepared to run the show his second time around.

The only question with Kingsbury is whether he’d be willing to leave the Commanders just one year after leading them to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. He also may have more interest in coaching the Chicago Bears given the veteran coach’s relationship with Caleb Williams.

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

Brady could be the best option if the Cowboys want to take a Sean McVay-like swing at head coach. 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.

Brady’s work with the Bills isn’t just a one-off. He also helped coordinate arguably the best offense in college football history – the 2019 Joe Burrow-powered LSU Tigers. Brady could help bring Prescott, 31, to the next level as he transitions into the latter half of his NFL career.

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator

Johnson would also represent a 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.

Johnson would certainly get the most out of Prescott, Lamb and the other Cowboys weapons. However, he has been picky about considering potential openings in the last couple of offseasons, so it isn’t clear whether he would be interested in joining Dallas, where Jones is the one calling the shots.

Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator

Here’s another up-and-coming offensive mind for the Cowboys to consider. Coen has built upon Baker Mayfield’s successful 2023 season with Dave Canales and helped guide the quarterback to a 4,500-yard, 41-touchdown season during which he completed 71.4% of his passes.

Coen comes from the Sean McVay coach tree – he spent four years with the Los Angeles Rams, from 2018-20 and 2022 – and is well-versed in McVay’s offense, which is full of pre-snap motions designed to tip the quarterback off to the defensive coverage and create mismatches. McVay’s offense has proven easy to implement across NFL teams, so that should make Coen a sought-after coaching candidate.

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

Could the Cowboys target a defensive-minded head coach to replace Mike McCarthy? Sure, and Flores is arguably the best option available on the market. In his two seasons with the Vikings, Flores has turned Minnesota’s defense from one of the league’s worst into a unit that ranked third in defensive EPA (-0.09) for the 2024 season.

The Cowboys’ defense took a big step back after Dan Quinn’s departure and with Micah Parsons out for the middle portion of the season. Giving Flores, whose unique defensive scheme – which relies on crowding the line of scrimmage and blitzing frequently – has proven effective with the Vikings, access to a player like Parsons could bring Dallas’ defense to the next level and turn them into a well-rounded threat once again.

Like Coen, Flores’ scheme transferred well between his previous teams, including the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. His 24-25 mark with the Dolphins, who sported arguably the NFL’s worst roster during his first season, is impressive to boot, so don’t sleep on the 43-year-old as a potential replacement for McCarthy.

Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach

Here’s another coach with a defensive background the Cowboys could consider. Carroll wants to return to coaching, and he has a wealth of experience that could prove valuable in moving on from McCarthy, a well-liked coach.

Carroll has a 170-120-1 record as a head coach and led the Seahawks to a blowout 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48. He has a reputation for being a culture-builder and crafting quality defenses, and his connection to Quinn could earn him a look from Jones and the Dallas brain trust.

Carroll will turn 74 on the eve of the NFL season, so he wouldn’t be a spring chicken or a long-term option for the Cowboys. However, as a stopgap, he would keep the team competitive and may find a way to bring them on a deep playoff run, as he often did with Russell Wilson in Seattle.

Jason Witten, former Dallas Cowboys tight end

There has been speculation that the Cowboys could target Colorado coach Deion Sanders if they go after a candidate with no previous NFL coaching experience. That said, Witten may be the player who is more likely to get a call from Jerry Jones eventually.

Need proof? 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.

Will Bill Belichick be Cowboys coaching candidate?

‘Belichick and his camp never received any indication during backchannel conversations that the job would open up, which is partly why he ended up at UNC,’ Schultz wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). ‘Belichick has an excellent relationship with the Jones family.’

Schultz stopped short of saying that would eliminate Belichick as a candidate for the job. However, Belichick and Michael Lombardi have been adamant the former Patriots coach would stay at North Carolina after accepting the job in December.