Who will replace Mike McCarthy in Dallas?

On January 14, 2025By Littum

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

The 61-year-old coach’s contract with the team expires on Tuesday. The two sides could not agree a new deal, so each is expected to seek a fresh start after a five-year partnership.

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

The Cowboys posted a 7-10 record in 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 another Super Bowl ring.

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

Cowboys coaching candidates: 8 Mike McCarthy replacements

If the Cowboys are looking for a familiar face to help replace McCarthy, they could look to Moore. He spent eight years in Dallas as a player and coach, including four seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator. He routinely helped the team finish ranked among the top 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 did well as a coordinator in 2024, his first season with the Eagles. Philadelphia finished the season sixth in offensive EPA per game (0.1) and fourth in EPA per rushing game (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.

Kingsbury is another NFC East offensive coordinator the Cowboys could try to poach. The former Arizona Cardinals head coach led the way 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 0.12 EPA on the run game.

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 an average 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 would be willing to leave the Commanders just one year after leading them to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. He may also have more interest in exercising 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 turn as 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 in the entire league in EPA as of game (0.18), while Josh Allen recorded 41 total touchdowns in an MVP-caliber season.

Brady’s work with the Bills is not just a one-off. He also helped coordinate arguably the best offense in college football history – 2019 Joe Burrow-powered LSU Tigers. Brady can help take Prescott, 31, to the next level as he enters 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 best-known offensive minds in the NFL since taking over as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. He has led Detroit to a top-five offense in yards and points per carry. game in each of his first three seasons in that role while pivoting Jared Goff to 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 over the past few seasons, so it’s not clear if he would be interested in joining Dallas, where Jones is the one calling the shots.

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

Coen comes from Sean McVay’s coaching tree – he spent four years with Los Angeles Ramsfrom 2018-20 and 2022 — and is well-versed in McVay’s offense, which is full of pre-snap moves designed to tip the quarterback to the defensive coverage and create mismatches. McVay’s offense has proven easy to implement across NFL teams, so that should make Coen a desirable 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 on the market. In his two seasons with the Vikings, Flores has transformed Minnesota’s defense from one of the league’s worst to a unit that ranked third in defensive EPA (-0.09) for the 2024 season.

The Cowboys’ defense took a big step back after the departure of Dan Quinn and with Micah Parsons out for the middle part of the season. By giving Flores, whose unique defensive scheme — which relies on penetrating the line of scrimmage and blitzing often — has proven effective with the Vikings, access to a player like Parsons could take Dallas’ defense to the next level and make them into a well-rounded threat once again.

Like Coen, Flores’ plan went well between his former teams, including New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. His 24-25 mark with the Dolphins, who had 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.

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

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

Carroll turns 74 on the eve of the NFL season, so he wouldn’t be a spring chicken or a long-term option for the Cowboys. But as a stopgap, he would keep the team competitive and can find a way to bring them to 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 more likely to get a call from Jerry Jones in the end.

Do you need proof? Jones was asked if Witten wanted a future as an NFL coach during his weekly appearances on 105.3 The Fan on 15 November 2024.

“Yes. Without hesitation. Yes,” Jones said. “(Witten) has something you can’t draw. He reminds me a lot of our other tight end who’s the 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 importantly, he really understands the physicality and the mentality of being physical and that part of it. Without a question, he could be (an NFL) coach). He has an extraordinary work ethic. … He can be a top coach.”

Witten may have potential, but he has just four years of head coaching experience 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 chance, he can.

Will Bill Belichick be the Cowboys coaching candidate?

Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports that there would have been mutual interest between Belichick and the Cowboys had the veteran coach known the position would become vacant.

“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 that the former Patriots coach would stay in North Carolina after accepting the job in December.