Cowboys coach candidates: Ben Johnson and other names Dallas should consider

Jerry Jones once famously said 500 coaches could have won Super Bowls with those early 1990s Dallas Cowboys teams. The owner and general manager has made six hires since winning two Super Bowls with Jimmy Johnson and one with Barry Switzer. None that have followed have been able to get the Cowboys past the divisional round of the playoffs.

“I always know coaches and where they’ve been,” Jones said after Dallas’ season-ending loss eight days ago. “When we go to Mobile (for the Senior Bowl), you’ll see about 500 of them there that would love to be on the staff. That number 500 has gotten me in trouble, but there are that many. And you’ll see coaches there that have been on Super Bowl staffs. There are probably Super Bowl coaches out here right now, given the opportunity, would coach again. In my mind, there are.”

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy parting ways on Monday, Jones will now get another attempt.

There is not an obvious choice to be Dallas’ 10th head coach in franchise history. But there are several names who could make sense. Here’s a breakdown of some of the top candidates.

Former head coaches

Ron Rivera

The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker with the 1985 Chicago Bears led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl as their head coach in 2015. That Carolina team went 15-1 before eventually losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Rivera didn’t have as much success as the Washington Commanders head coach from 2020-2023. They made the playoffs once but never had a winning record during those four seasons.

Pete Carroll

He spent 14 seasons as the Seattle Seahawks head coach, reaching the Super Bowl in 2013 and 2014. The 2013 Seahawks defeated the Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl 48. Carroll’s teams reached the playoffs 10 times during that stretch. During his best seasons, Seattle was known for having the NFL’s top defense.

Brian Flores

The Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator was head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019-2021. The Dolphins had a winning record in two of those three seasons but never reached the playoffs. Over the last two seasons he has turned Minnesota’s defense into one of the best in the league.

Jon Gruden

If there wasn’t the whole disgraced fashion in which Gruden left the NFL in 2021, when he resigned from his position as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the email controversy, this would be a much more likely option. The current Barstool personality is an offensive mind who has had success in the NFL as a head coach in multiple places. He revived the Raiders in the late 90s and won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002. In coaching under Al Davis with the Raiders, Gruden has experience working with a Jones-type owner.

Kliff Kingsbury

Kingsbury is known as a quarterback-centric coach, who has helped Jayden Daniels to his impressive rookie campaign in Washington. There are questions with Kingsbury, and those were getting louder in the second half of the regular season when his offense in Washington went stale. A Commanders playoff run could mask a lot, but the biggest question to consider will be if Kingsbury is better suited with an NFL ceiling as a coordinator or if he’s capable of being a more successful head coach than what he showed previously in Arizona (28-37-1, one playoff appearance in four seasons).

GO DEEPER

NFL coaches vote on best job openings: A clear No. 1 plus Jaguars, Patriots in top 3

Top coordinators

Ben Johnson

For the second consecutive hiring cycle, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator has been one of the league’s top candidates. Since taking over their offense, Johnson has had the group among the best in the league, and few are able to match his creativity. Maybe his most impressive accomplishment has been turning veteran QB Jared Goff into one of the league’s top players. Johnson has had an opportunity to leave but has been careful about choosing the right opportunity.

Aaron Glenn

The Lions defensive coordinator was defensive backs coach with the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020. He played 15 seasons in the NFL at cornerback, making the Pro Bowl three times. He played for the Cowboys during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He has done an outstanding job with Detroit’s defense, especially this season as they’ve had to overcome several key injuries.

GO DEEPER

Lions enter postseason knowing it could be their last with this coaching staff

Kellen Moore

The separation between the Cowboys and Moore in 2023 wasn’t under the best of terms, but a lot of that was because of the involvement of McCarthy, who is no longer in the picture. Jones has always shown great admiration for Moore, to the point that he forced McCarthy to keep Moore as offensive coordinator and play caller when McCarthy took the job in 2020. Moore’s one season in Los Angeles with the Chargers wasn’t great but he has Philadelphia’s offense humming, thanks in large part to a plethora of weapons. With the Eagles two wins away from a Super Bowl appearance, momentum could pick up in favor of Moore getting serious consideration for a head-coaching job somewhere in the NFL. If that’s the case, Jones could view it as a homecoming.

The Eagles are in the divisional around with Kellen Moore as OC after beating the Packers on Sunday. (Bill Streicher / Imagn Images)

Joe Brady

Brady is a hot name for the way he transformed the offense after taking over as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator. While his work in Buffalo has been impressive, there is a question of how good of a fit he would be for what’s in Dallas. The two high points for Brady were in 2019 after his work as LSU’s passing game coordinator and wide receiver coach and present day as the Bills’ offensive coordinator. In those situations, he had Joe Burrow and Josh Allen as his quarterbacks. Prescott is not in the same class as either, so it wouldn’t quite be apples to apples for Brady.

Liam Coen

Coen just finished a stellar season as offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay under challenging circumstances. He worked through injuries to his top two wide receivers, with Chris Godwin missing most of the season. He helped break in a rookie running back in Bucky Irving in a way that elevated the offense, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is in a similar class as Prescott. Before Tampa Bay, Coen spent four years in various stints, including as the Rams’ offensive coordinator under Sean McVay in 2022.

GO DEEPER

NFL head coach interview process: What to know about league policies, Rooney Rule

Wild cards

Bill Belichick

A report surfaced Monday morning that Belichick would have been interested in the Cowboys’ job but did not know it be an option before he took the position at North Carolina. It was reported last week that if Belichick leaves prior to June 1, 2025, there is a $10 million buyout.

GO DEEPER

The Mike Tomlin paradox and whether his Steelers tenure has run its course: Sando’s Pick Six

Mike Tomlin

There haven’t been any substantial reports indicating that Tomlin would be fired or that the Cowboys would trade for the Steelers coach, but pundits, such as former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson and former NFL quarterback and The Athletic contributor Chase Daniel, have pontificated about Tomlin’s fit in Dallas.

Do the Dallas Cowboys have the most desirable job in sports?

We put @ChaseDaniel to the test ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/VXL59kNskl

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) January 13, 2025

Jason Witten

He has no NFL coaching experience but his time with the organization as a player makes him someone of note. He’s unlikely to be considered at this time, but could be a more likely candidate in future years.

Deion Sanders

His connection with the Cowboys, popularity, big personality and success as Colorado’s coach makes him an interesting name. Highly unlikely, but he has a good relationship with Jones.

(Top photo of Ben Johnson: Junfu Han / Imagn Images)