Dallas Cowboys Face Coaching Setback - Top Candidates Unavailable

By - Alex Taylor

Friday, January 24, 2025

The Dallas Cowboys have a big coaching dilemma on their hands after parting ways with Mike McCarthy. While this move sends signals of the team's intent for change, the timing has created some unforeseen hurdles.

. The Cowboys missed the chance to interview top coaching candidates during the first postseason bye week, a critical window for teams trying to land the most in-demand coaching talents in the league, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.

This means Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have to wait until key candidates' seasons are over. Two big names on the coaching carousel, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, offensive and defensive coordinators for the Detroit Lions, respectively, are off-limits until the Lions' playoff run is over. This scenario is making fans find this interesting because the next move by the Cowboys could significantly shift their odds heading into the next NFL season. This mistake is being heavily reported as a “self-inflicted setback” by Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, emphasizing how costly the move of delayed decision-making can be.

The Missed Window and Its Implications

Per the NFL's hiring rules, teams can interview coaches of playoff-bound teams during the first week of the postseason if those teams have a bye. Because the Cowboys elected to wait an extra week before letting McCarthy go, they inadvertently closed the window on that all-important period. Now Dallas has three choices: pursue other available candidates, wait patiently for their top choices, or risk being left out altogether.

The stakes are high, especially for sports betting enthusiasts who are closely watching these coaching decisions, as they could significantly impact team performance. Ben Johnson's Lions offense has been nothing short of spectacular, leading the NFL in scoring at 33.2 points per game and second in yardage, at 409.5 per contest, during the 2024 regular season. Aaron Glenn has taken over Detroit's defense and turned it into one of the better units in football. That kind of unmistakable expertise could elevate the Cowboys in significant areas.

Potential Coaching Candidates for the Cowboys

With their top choices off the board, the Cowboys will need to choose between their next-best candidates or wait around. The table below goes over some of the most popular candidates and their qualifications.

Candidate	Current Position	Accomplishments
Ben Johnson	Offensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions	Leading the NFL's highest-scoring offense, 2024 (33.2 PPG).
Aaron Glenn	Defensive Coordinator, Detroit Lions	Significantly improved the Detroit defense over two seasons.
Eric Bieniemy	Offensive Coordinator, Washington	Was instrumental in the development of Patrick Mahomes in KC.
Kellen Moore	Offensive Coordinator, Los Angeles	Former Cowboys OC, developed high-flying offenses.
DeMeco Ryans	Head Coach, Houston Texans	Took Houston from worst to a competitive team quickly.

Moving Forward for the Cowboys

There is some risk in waiting around for the top candidates like Johnson and Glenn. If the Lions make a deep run in the playoffs, Dallas might find itself in a bidding war against other franchises that could go after those coordinators, or they may not get them at all. On the other side, moving quickly could result in a coach who might not be the best fit for the future. To resolve this problem, the Cowboys will need to weigh immediate needs with possible long-term gains. Here is how the Cowboys' front office might think:

Short-term versus long-term vision: The balance needed between the urgency of the coaching hire and ensuring a high-quality hire.
Lesser-known talent: Identifying up-and-coming coaches that are not yet nationally known or recognized.
Internal candidates: The interim or permanent fit from within the current staff, most notably defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Fan expectations: Appeasing a growing base of impatient fans starving for some sort of postseason success.

What This Means for the 2025 Season

This coaching hire alone may trickle into a transformation of what might happen during the Cowboys’ 2025 season. Maybe a new and creative play-call from an offensive scheming coach unlocks Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb's potential. Or possibly a defensive-minded head coach wants to build his team around the dominant playmaking of Micah Parsons.

Of course, well beyond the 2025 season, this next head coach will help set the culture and course for the next few years. With the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers continuing to run roughshod through the NFC, the Cowboys have got to do something that’s going to make them appear legitimate contenders.

Final Thoughts

This coaching tussle further elucidates the fact that in the NFL, timing means everything. Missing that window when the top candidates wanted the job and were available is a setback, not an insurmountable one. The caution now lies with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys leadership not to make a hurried or bad hire that could hurt the future of the franchise.

The next few weeks are going to be rampant with speculation, anticipation, and maybe a little frustration for the fans. Whether this team hires their first choice or adjusts to another candidate completely, one thing's for sure: this move will have lasting implications for this franchise and the road back to greatness.