The latest in Dallas Cowboys coaching search as one candidate goes in for second interview
The Dallas Cowboys are now more than a week into their search for a head coach after the team parted ways with Mike McCarthy on Jan. 13 and they have conducted interviews with four candidates to be the successor to McCarthy’s five-year tenure.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was the first to interview on Jan. 17, as Jerry Jones met virtually with Moore who stayed back in Philadelphia to continue preparations for their divisional round playoff game. Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh was next on Jan. 18, who impressed people in the building with his vision. On Jan. 20, a detailed plan by Seattle Seahawks associate head coach Leslie Frazier was laid out, described as “ambitious” by one team source.
But all throughout those interviews, one name began to gain steam: Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
After interviewing on Tuesday, Jan. 21, for a little more than four hours, Schottenheimer was asked back into the facility on Wednesday to continue the conversation. His time spent in the interview process has far exceeded any of the previous three candidates, and he is the first to be asked back for a second day.
Could Schottenheimer be the hire? One long-tenured staffer thinks so, while others in the building remain more confident in his chances to be retained as offensive coordinator, not as head coach. Depending on who an eventual head coach hire would be in the event he is retained with his current role, Schottenheimer has made clear his desire to be an offensive play-caller in 2025.
There are no current plans in place to bring in any additional candidates, although it should be noted that Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is expected to be in DFW this weekend as the East West Shrine Bowl kicks off practices on Saturday, Jan. 25, with his sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders, both participating. The game will happen on Jan. 30 at AT&T Stadium.
If a head coach is not hired by then, a face-to-face conversation with Sanders and Jerry Jones could become a reality.
As the coaching carousel churns along with the Jets hiring Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn on Wednesday, one would think that the clock is ticking for the Cowboys to make a selection. But with only Saleh deep in the mix for another job (Jacksonville) and a lack of desire from ownership to interview top candidates in the league coaching cycle, time could very well be a factor that’s thrown out the window.
In essence, we’re on Jerry’s time.
This story was originally published January 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM.
