The Dallas Cowboys coaching search kicked off this past Monday when the team officially moved on from Mike McCarthy. While Dallas was a late entry to the NFL coaching carousel, missing out on the window to interview top NFL coaching candidates, a front-runner has reportedly emerged in the Cowboys coaching search.
Immediately after Dallas announced McCarthy wouldn’t return, NFL rumors emerged that Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and former Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten were among potential options. However, Sanders is not even expected to receive an interview and Witten seems unlikely to get the job.
Since then, several more prominent candidates have emerged as targets in the Cowboys coaching search. Dallas officially met with Seattle Seahawks assistant coach Leslie Frazier and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh. While Saleh is also gaining ground as an option to become the next Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, Dallas appears more likely to go in a different direction.
According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is “the front-runner right now” to become the Cowboys head coach in 2025.
While Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer emerged as the betting favorite in the team’s coaching search on Monday, he is reportedly not the top option. Instead, it would be his predecessor who served as the Cowboys’ quarterback from 2015-’17 and then immediately joined the Cowboys coaching staff following his retirement.
Moore, who turns 37 in July, has long been a personal favorite of Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones. With the franchise owner spearheading the search, his relationship with the next head coach and his confidence in the coach’s ability to maximize Dak Prescott are believed to be key factors in the looming decision.
Jones saw what more could do with the Cowboys’ offense when he served as offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022. He also helped sway McCarthy to keep Moore on as play-caller when McCarthy was hired as head coach in 2020.
However, McCarthy and Moore shared the same agent with both men wanting to serve as play-caller and run their offense. It’s what led to the split following the 2022 season, with Moore then becoming the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator in 2023 before taking the same job with the Eagles this past offseason.
Jones has long regretted not being the one to make Sean Payton a head coach after he worked on the Cowboys coaching staff from 2003-’05 as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. In his eyes, Moore could be an opportunity to land who he believes will become one of the best young NFL coaches in the years to come.
