I wish I could believe otherwise - but no great HC is headed here

[gimmesix]

Two Serious questions: you said “plenty of coaches would come here”…so

1. Who would be on that list of “plenty of coaches” who would want to be here under Jerry’s way of doing things?
2. Why would any self respecting HC who wants all the normal things HCs do like hire his own assistants, have control of locker room discipline and has control of the message to the press like 31 other HCs want to be here?

One other thing…why come here when JJ pats his head coaches in the lower half of what HCs make? Not only have to put with JJ but for less money?

Just like with players, Jerry pays what he has to pay. He'll be competitive with whoever is bidding for a coach he wants.

 

[Bobhaze]

Just like with players, Jerry pays what he has to pay. He'll be competitive with whoever is bidding for a coach he wants.

Not true. Mike McCarthy is currently the 16th highest paid head coach in the NFL. Big Mac is paid less than Sirani and Dan Quinn, so he’s paid 3rd of the 4 HCs in the NFC East. Garrett was always paid well below what other guys were making.

Remember, coaches have no salary cap. Jerry could money whip anyone he chose to because he’s the richest owner in sports. He pays his players very well. His head coaches…not so much.

I think he still has little respect for the coaching profession. The money he pays his coaches seems to back that up.

 

[cald0d30s0]

Words of wisdom, words of wisdom.

 

[john van brocklin]

Many Cowboys fans are discussing some big names who could be our next head coach. I’ve done some of that dreaming too. But at this point unless the man in charge makes MAJOR changes in how he operates, there will be no new coach that can rescue this mess. Because the owner won’t allow it.

I wish I could believe there is a new and better head coach headed to Dallas for 2025. But I just can’t. As long as Jerry Jones is breathing he will never hire a head coach that would or could upstage him.

To support this belief, here are some key points that have seemed obvious to me for years:

• Jerry Jones does not think like a normal owner or GM who wants to win a championship so badly he’s willing to hire a great HC, pay him handsomely, and support that HC by backing off. He does not want to win bad enough to change. Period.
• Jerry hires HCs not based on who gives us the best chance to win a championship but who makes him feel comfortable. (Your honor I submit these names into evidence: Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Wade Phillips, and Jason Garrett)
• The job of being HC of the Dallas Cowboys is not attractive to a HC who wants to do what normal HCs do in the NFL; like have control of the locker room, select his assistants, decide who starts, control the message to the press, etc.

I do not believe this job is attractive to any self respecting up and coming HC who is young and rising star (like Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn) because (a) Jerry doesn’t want to be upstaged ever again by a young star coach like Jimmy Johnson. (b)He will not change.

Our only hope rests in any of these things happening:

1. The Jones kids are tired of this 3 decade treadmill and want real changes. They pressure the old man to hire someone who can and will change this culture and force the old man to back off after the hire.
2. Jerry himself is tired of this cycle and decides to go after a coach that he will pay well, gives him freedom to run the team like a normal HC, and allows him to transform his culture.
3. Things stay exactly the same and we somehow just flat get lucky with whoever is hired.

Of these scenarios (all of which are unlikely) I hope scenario 1 could somehow, some way happen. Maybe Stephen, Charlotte and Jerry Jr have had enough of this wash, rinse repeat cycle of playoff irrelevance and put some pressure on Daddy to change.

My friends, without major change at the top, we cannot expect different results.

You are unfortunately correct, sir.

 

[KingCorcoran]

Coaches are going to pick the best situation. Realistically, they know this was a 12-5 team the previous three seasons and a slew of injuries have helped it not come close to that this year. They know they have one of the top defenders in football in Parsons, two former All-Pro corners in Diggs and Bland, one of the top receivers in the game and a quarterback, whether you like him or not, who has been top 10 most of his career and was an MVP contender just last year. Plus, there's Brandon Aubrey. Who wouldn't want to coach the best kicker the game has ever seen.

I like Dak Prescott just fine. Cowboys are lucky to have him. Even if the Cowboys were a 12-5 team this year, Jerry Jones is still going to have to pay top money for a top head coach candidate. I’m afraid head coach candidates are going to consider how much an ownership group is willing to pay them as how much confidence they have in them. If the most valuable team in the NFL is offering less than any other team that coaching candidate is going to assume Jerry doesn’t want them as much as the other team(s).

”Poor” Jerry can’t get around those pesky minimum wage laws. He can get any candidate he wants if he’s willing to pay enough. Who do you think will be the Cowboys’ head coach in 2025?

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Many Cowboys fans are discussing some big names who could be our next head coach. I’ve done some of that dreaming too. But at this point unless the man in charge makes MAJOR changes in how he operates, there will be no new coach that can rescue this mess. Because the owner won’t allow it.

I wish I could believe there is a new and better head coach headed to Dallas for 2025. But I just can’t. As long as Jerry Jones is breathing he will never hire a head coach that would or could upstage him.

To support this belief, here are some key points that have seemed obvious to me for years:

• Jerry Jones does not think like a normal owner or GM who wants to win a championship so badly he’s willing to hire a great HC, pay him handsomely, and support that HC by backing off. He does not want to win bad enough to change. Period.
• Jerry hires HCs not based on who gives us the best chance to win a championship but who makes him feel comfortable. (Your honor I submit these names into evidence: Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Wade Phillips, and Jason Garrett)
• The job of being HC of the Dallas Cowboys is not attractive to a HC who wants to do what normal HCs do in the NFL; like have control of the locker room, select his assistants, decide who starts, control the message to the press, etc.

I do not believe this job is attractive to any self respecting up and coming HC who is young and rising star (like Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn) because (a) Jerry doesn’t want to be upstaged ever again by a young star coach like Jimmy Johnson. (b)He will not change.

Our only hope rests in any of these things happening:

1. The Jones kids are tired of this 3 decade treadmill and want real changes. They pressure the old man to hire someone who can and will change this culture and force the old man to back off after the hire.
2. Jerry himself is tired of this cycle and decides to go after a coach that he will pay well, gives him freedom to run the team like a normal HC, and allows him to transform his culture.
3. Things stay exactly the same and we somehow just flat get lucky with whoever is hired.

Of these scenarios (all of which are unlikely) I hope scenario 1 could somehow, some way happen. Maybe Stephen, Charlotte and Jerry Jr have had enough of this wash, rinse repeat cycle of playoff irrelevance and put some pressure on Daddy to change.

My friends, without major change at the top, we cannot expect different results.

Let me ask you this ( you being a great historian (loll)........name one coach that's ever rejected an offer from Jerry. In other words, Jerry has hired every coach he has wanted.....correct me if I'm wrong. Remember what one top college coach once said...... if the Cowboys call, it's a call you gotta take.

 

[Bobhaze]

Coaches are going to pick the best situation. Realistically, they know this was a 12-5 team the previous three seasons and a slew of injuries have helped it not come close to that this year. They know they have one of the top defenders in football in Parsons, two former All-Pro corners in Diggs and Bland, one of the top receivers in the game and a quarterback, whether you like him or not, who has been top 10 most of his career and was an MVP contender just last year. Plus, there's Brandon Aubrey. Who wouldn't want to coach the best kicker the game has ever seen.

This is not same team we had the last few years. The talent level here compared to 2021-23 is down significantly. Just look at the following positions and the starters we had last year compared to this year:

2023.…………. ………………… 2024
QB- Dak Prescott……….. Dak Prescott
RB Tony Pollard……….. Rico Gathers (last yr of contract)
LT- Tyron Smith……… Tyler Guyton
LG- Tyler Smith………. Tyler Smith
C- Tyler Biad………….. Cooper Beebe
RG Zack Martin ……….. Zack Martin (last yr of contract)
RT Terance Steele ……… Terance Steele
TE Jake Ferguson ………. Jake Ferguson
WR Cedee Lamb ………… Cedee Lamb
WR Michael Gallup………… Jalen Tolbert
WR Brandin Cooks ………… Brandin Cooks (last yr of contract)

DE DeMarcus Lawrence……… DeMarcus Lawrence (last yr of contract)
DT Jonathan Hankins…….. Mazi Smith
DT Osa Odighizhua.………. Osa Odighizhua (last yr of contract)
DE Micah Parsons.……….. Micah Parsons
LB Leighton Vander Esch.…… Eric Kendricks (on one yr deal)
LB Damone Clark ………… DeMarvion Overshown (probably out next yr)
CB Stephon Gilmore…….. Trevon Diggs
CB Deron Bland………. Deron Bland
Nickel Jourdan Lewis……. Jourdan Lewis (last yr of deal)
S Jayron Kearse ………… Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson.……… Donovan Wilson

Are we better or worse talent wise than 21-23? I say worse and we have potentially 7 current starters that will be FAs next yr and we won’t re-sign them all.

In other words this isn’t a top ten roster anymore. There are Swiss cheese holes in this roster for 2025.

 

[gimmesix]

I like Dak Prescott just fine. Cowboys are lucky to have him. Even if the Cowboys were a 12-5 team this year, Jerry Jones is still going to have to pay top money for a top head coach candidate. I’m afraid head coach candidates are going to consider how much an ownership group is willing to pay them as how much confidence they have in them. If the most valuable team in the NFL is offering less than any other team that coaching candidate is going to assume Jerry doesn’t want them as much as the other team(s).

”Poor” Jerry can’t get around those pesky minimum wage laws. He can get any candidate he wants if he’s willing to pay enough. Who do you think will be the Cowboys’ head coach in 2025?

I have no idea. McCarthy had choices when he was hired a few years back and chose Dallas anyway. Someone else who is wanted by other teams will too. As much as we give Jerry grief (that he deserves), why would a coach rather go to the Jets, for example, than the Cowboys? The Jets are on their fourth head coach since 2015. Jerry has had two since 2010, one for 10 years and one for five now. Coaches, like anyone else, value job security.

 

[gimmesix]

Not true. Mike McCarthy is currently the 16th highest paid head coach in the NFL. Big Mac is paid less than Sirani and Dan Quinn, so he’s paid 3rd of the 4 HCs in the NFC East. Garrett was always paid well below what other guys were making.

Remember, coaches have no salary cap. Jerry could money whip anyone he chose to because he’s the richest owner in sports. He pays his players very well. His head coaches…not so much.

I think he still has little respect for the coaching profession. The money he pays his coaches seems to back that up.

Did Jerry pay McCarthy as much as any other team that offered him the head coaching job? You are comparing his pay to other coaches who may have been offered more to take those jobs because they had to be offered more. When you are hiring someone, you don't automatically make them the highest paid, you pay them what it takes to hire them.

 

[gimmesix]

This is not same team we had the last few years. The talent level here compared to 2021-23 is down significantly. Just look at the following positions and the starters we had last year compared to this year:

2023. 2024
QB- Dak Prescott Dak Prescott
RB Tony Pollard Rico Gathers (last yr of contract)
LT- Tyron Smith Tyler Guyton
LG- Tyler Smith Tyler Smith
C- Tyler Biadaz Cooper Beebe
RG Zack Martin Zack Martin (last yr of contract)
RT Terance Steele Terance Steele
TE Jake Ferguson Jake Ferguson
WR Cedee Lamb Cedee Lamb
WR Michael Gallup Jalen Tolbert
WR Brandin Cooks Brandin Cooks (last yr of contract)

DE DeMarcus Lawrence DeMarcus Lawrence (last yr of contract)
DT Jonathan Hankins Mazi Smith
DT Osa Odighizhua. Osa Odighizhua (last yr of contract)
DE Micah Parsons. Micah Parsons
LB Leighton Vander Esch. Eric Kendricks (on one yr deal)
LB Damone Clark DeMarvion Overshown (probably out next yr)
CB Stephon Gilmore. Trevon Diggs
CB Deron Bland Deron Bland
Nickel Jourdan Lewis Jourdan Lewis (last yr of deal)
S Jayron Kearse Malik Hooker
S Donovan Wilson. Donovan Wilson

Are we better or worse talent wise than 21-23? I say worse and we have potentially 7 current starters that will be FAs next yr and we won’t re-sign them all.

In other words this isn’t a top ten roster anymore. There are Swiss cheese holes in this roster for 2025.

If you are a coach, you are looking at the outrageous amount of injuries this team has suffered this year and believing that's not likely to happen again. The roster may be different, but there are a lot of key players who have missed time.

One thing I'd feel pretty good about as a coach is the offensive line. The team has a lot of young players there playing pretty well. The tackles still need to be figured out, but I'd feel excited about being able to figure that out with Smith, Richards, Guyton and maybe Steele. Even if we had to move Smith to LT, the interior of Bass, Beebe and Hoffman looks like it can hold its own.

There is talent on this team when healthy. Now, there are also some positions that need better talent, but that's going to be the case anywhere you go.

 

[Aven8]

Coaches are going to pick the best situation. Realistically, they know this was a 12-5 team the previous three seasons and a slew of injuries have helped it not come close to that this year. They know they have one of the top defenders in football in Parsons, two former All-Pro corners in Diggs and Bland, one of the top receivers in the game and a quarterback, whether you like him or not, who has been top 10 most of his career and was an MVP contender just last year. Plus, there's Brandon Aubrey. Who wouldn't want to coach the best kicker the game has ever seen.

All valid points. And as @Ranching said, coaches are cocky. Win in Dallas? You would be a Golden God around here for eternity.

 

[Bobhaze]

Let me ask you this ( you being a great historian (loll)........name one coach that's ever rejected an offer from Jerry. In other words, Jerry has hired every coach he has wanted.....correct me if I'm wrong. Remember what one top college coach once said...... if the Cowboys call, it's a call you gotta take.

We don’t know what coaches were interviewed, offered or considered other than what JJ and SJ have publicly shared. No big company ever publicly says, “We offered the job to three other people, but we hired Joe here because no one else would accept.” I mean they’re never going to say who wasn’t interested.

I believe there are head coaches and assistants who have been contacted by JJ who were not interested. Obviously I can’t prove that.

But we do know Dan Reeves, the former Broncos and Falcons HC who took both those teams to SBs was hired several years ago as some kind of special advisor and he resigned less than a week after accepting the job. It was never clarified why although it seems obvious it had to do with how much autonomy he would actually have.

I’m dead serious when I say I don’t think this is an attractive destination for a strong HC. One reason besides the obvious Jerry factor is also this roster is a mess right now and has a ton of decent to good players on the last year of their contracts who won’t be back. There are more holes than swiss cheese here in 2025.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

The more and more I listen to football people talk, and the more I watch the dominoes fall (example: Belichick being courted by UNC), the more I believe McCarthy with be back.

Sad reality, but this is where we have arrived.

We haven't played great this season by any stretch, but Mike (despite his experience and his Lombardi Trophy) has proved time and time again that his presence on the sidelines does not give the team a competitive advantage.

Thankfully, millennial Cowboys fans like me don't actually know what championship football really looks like, so it's more of the same to us.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

The more and more I listen to football people talk, and the more I watch the dominoes fall (example: Belichick being courted by UNC), the more I believe McCarthy with be back.

Sad reality, but this is where we have arrived.

We haven't played great this season by any stretch, but Mike (despite his experience and his Lombardi Trophy) has proved time and time again that his presence on the sidelines does not give the team a competitive advantage.

Thankfully, millennial Cowboys fans like me don't actually know what championship football really looks like, so it's more of the same to us.

You could be right, but Jerry can extend Mike today. This is why I think he's done, but I do expect a rethread-type hire.

 

[KingCorcoran]

I have no idea. McCarthy had choices when he was hired a few years back and chose Dallas anyway. Someone else who is wanted by other teams will too. As much as we give Jerry grief (that he deserves), why would a coach rather go to the Jets, for example, than the Cowboys? The Jets are on their fourth head coach since 2015. Jerry has had two since 2010, one for 10 years and one for five now. Coaches, like anyone else, value job security.

Money. Frankly, because the Cowboys run their franchise with a hierarchy coaches are not familiar with, they’re going to have to pay extra to get a top candidate. Coaches that are being considered for NFL positions know they can coach anywhere. They already have job security. All NFL head coach contracts are fully guaranteed. Their agents know what owners can afford to pay. Top guys get top money.

What other team wanted to hire Mike McCarthy? I’ve never heard that. And note, the Jets are paying Saleh more not to coach the Jets in 2025 than McCarthy gets paid by Jerry now. His cheap *** either pays up or misses out. The Cowboys stink right now and Jerry is doing fine. Why would he feel compelled to hire an expensive head coach?

Mike McCarthy will get a new contract. I don’t know why you’re afraid to say it. Dak will be back, he’s better than most other QBs in the NFL. MM will be back, he’s decent. And Jerry, he’ll stay very rich.

 

[gimmesix]

Money. Frankly, because the Cowboys run their franchise with a hierarchy coaches are not familiar with, they’re going to have to pay extra to get a top candidate. Coaches that are being considered for NFL positions know they can coach anywhere. They already have job security. All NFL head coach contracts are fully guaranteed. Their agents know what owners can afford to pay. Top guys get top money.

What other team wanted to hire Mike McCarthy? I’ve never heard that. And note, the Jets are paying Saleh more not to coach the Jets in 2025 than McCarthy gets paid by Jerry now. His cheap *** either pays up or misses out. The Cowboys stink right now and Jerry is doing fine. Why would he feel compelled to hire an expensive head coach?

Mike McCarthy will get a new contract. I don’t know why you’re afraid to say it. Dak will be back, he’s better than most other QBs in the NFL. MM will be back, he’s decent. And Jerry, he’ll stay very rich.

I'm not afraid to say something I do not know. I simply have no idea, and neither do you. It wouldn't surprise me for McCarthy to get a new contract. But this idea that coaches won't come to Dallas comes without a shred of evidence to support it. Jerry has hired Super Bowl-winning coaches, he's hired up-and-coming coaches, he's hired assistants already on staff, he's hired successful college head coaches. It's hard to say which one he'll do next, if he makes a change.

 

[KingCorcoran]

I'm not afraid to say something I do not know. I simply have no idea, and neither do you. It wouldn't surprise me for McCarthy to get a new contract. But this idea that coaches won't come to Dallas comes without a shred of evidence to support it. Jerry has hired Super Bowl-winning coaches, he's hired up-and-coming coaches, he's hired assistants already on staff, he's hired successful college head coaches. It's hard to say which one he'll do next, if he makes a change.

He hasn’t hired one that has been ultimately successful for almost 30 years. And it hasn’t changed the way he runs his franchise even a little bit.

Obviously no one knows who will be the Cowboys’ head coach next season. Saying you have “no idea” is bs. Every Cowboys fan has an idea it will be Mike McCarthy because every Cowboys fan knows Jerry Jones will not be moved to seem like he’s looking for a savior. He’s the Cowboys’ savior. There can be no other. The only doubt is whether or not Mike McCarthy says “no thank you”.

 

[noshame]

If only the media and the fanbase would turn on this guy, that's the only difference maker out there I feel.

And truthfully, it's not just a headcoach he won't hire. He refuses to draft a great quarterback. Because then he'd have to share the glory with the quarterback and the quarterback would be the story.
Jerry can't stand that, it's got to be all Jerry.

 

[Quickdraw]

As long as Jerry remains the GM and refuses to take a back seat winning, a new head coach will not and cannot fix what he himself screwed up 30 years ago. Taking credit is all that narcissist cares about.

Personally, I could care less at this point. You can only get so much smoke blown up your thermal exhaust port.

 

[CATCH17]

The situation going forward looks bad.

Dallas is kinda stuck right now.