The Dallas Cowboys are officially searching for a new head coach.
Dallas has been linked to various coaches during this hiring cycle, but the search for a new head coach is just beginning, and the team has provided little information about potential candidates.
While Hall of Fame cornerback and current Colorado Head Coach Deion Sanders has reportedly discussed the role with America’s Team, he has repeatedly told the world that he plans to continue his collegiate coaching career and stay out of the NFL.
Dallas will likely look for a candidate who has either gained experience as an NFL head coach in the past or has previously been a member of the Cowboys organization.
As a result, a few names begin to stand out as the most likely candidates to take over as the Cowboys’ new head coach.
Kellen Moore
Moore spent four seasons as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator between 2019 and 2022, helping Dallas become one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
Dallas ranked within the top six for points and in the top 11 in yards for three of those four seasons.
The singular season in which the Cowboys offense did not reach those marks came in 2020 when quarterback Dak Prescott suffered an ankle injury and only played five games.
Moore spent the 2023 season as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers and struggled during his singular season with the team. The offense finished just 18th in yards and 21st in points.
However, Moore bounced back in 2024 while working as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philadelphia currently ranks eighth in yards and seventh in points despite quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown missing multiple games this season.
Hiring Moore as head coach would also help Dallas compete with various other teams in the league that are hiring offensive-minded coaches, which is becoming a trend among the biggest contenders each season.
Although Moore has never been the head coach of an NFL team, his experience with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will likely help him attract the franchise’s attention during this hiring cycle.
Brian Flores
The Cowboys have not been officially linked to Flores, but they would be wise to consider calling for an interview. He spent this past season proving that he is still one of the smartest defensive minds in the league.
Flores struggled during his three seasons coaching the Miami Dolphins, finishing with an overall record of just 24-25 and missing the playoffs in all three seasons.
However, Flores has bounced back during his past two seasons as the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, helping the unit become one of the most disruptive in the NFL.
The biggest growth came this season when the team finished with an overall record of 14-3, and the defense forced at least one turnover in every regular-season game.
This improvement, along with praise from those within the locker room, has led to Flores receiving multiple interview requests from teams with head coach openings.
Although some may present concerns about Flores’ tumultuous time coaching the Dolphins, specifically in his relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the situation would be incredibly different from his time coaching in Miami.
Flores would enter the Cowboys organization with an established offense behind Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, meaning he will not be required to teach nearly as much compared to how he dealt with a rookie quarterback.
Additionally, Flores addressed the previous issues with Tagovailoa and said that “part of that growth” comes from “kind of seeing different ways to do it, taking all that information in, tweaking some things from my standpoint, from a leadership standpoint and applying it and seeing if it works,” per ESPN.
While the organization may have some concerns about Flores’s ability to lead a locker room, the team should still schedule an interview and discuss the role of the Cowboys’ head coach.
Robert Saleh
Saleh is one of the few names the Cowboys have been officially linked to. Ian Rappaport of NFL.com reports that the organization plans to interview him for the role.
The defensive-minded coach spent the past four seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets and was released midway through the 2024-25 season.
However, multiple teams have inquired about Saleh as a potential head coach or defensive coordinator.
Following a difficult first season with the Jets in which the defense finished ranked last in both yards and points allowed, Saleh began to find his rhythm and quickly transformed the defense into one of the best in the league.
New York finished the 2022 season ranked fourth in the league for both yards and points allowed, and it continued that success in the 2023 season, ranking third and 12th in those same categories.
Saleh struggled to put together wins during his time with the Jets but was often put in bad circumstances. The team was unable to find an impactful quarterback for the first three seasons of his tenure.
This past season, quarterback Aaron Rodgers seemingly made demands that split the locker room, and the Jets eventually moved on from the head coach.
Although Saleh does not have direct experience with the Cowboys organization, he has experience as a head coach and should be considered one of the top candidates for the role.