Leading Candidate For Cowboys HC Job Drops Out Of Race After Taking NFC DC Role

The Dallas Cowboys‘ head coaching search feels like it is about to reach its crescendo, with Brian Schottenheimer “close” to signing a deal to become the team’s head coach, but Pete Carroll also seemingly in the mix to become the team’s new HC.

The talk on Eagles OC, Kellen Moore has seemingly died down ever since his head coaching odds collapsed on betting markets on Monday, but it is not clear that he is totally out of the picture.

Saleh No Longer In The Picture To Be The Cowboys’ Head Coach

One coach who is out of the picture, it would seem, is former New York Jets head coach, Robert Saleh.

49ers expected to hire Robert Saleh as DC, per @MikeSilver. pic.twitter.com/DP20UGCgAg

— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) January 24, 2025

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This was originally reported by The Athletic who broke that the 49ers would be bringing back their former defensive coordinator prior to his move to New York in 2021.

Saleh has been one of four coaches interviewed for the position of head coach by the Cowboys, alongside Schottenheimer, Moore, and Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier – along with the late surge news on Carroll.

Why Did Saleh Take The DC Job In San Francisco?

None of the talk over the past few days had Saleh as a true player in the Cowboys head coaching sweepstakes – with Moore, and subsequently Schottenheimer, taking up the majority of the airtime.

The buzz around Saleh to the Cowboys became quieter and quieter; and whilst the former Jet was never fully out of contention for the role, it never really felt like Jerry Jones was ever going to select him over two familiar faces who coached on the offensive side of the ball.

Saleh was also considered a hot name for the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching opening until Thursday evening, The Athletic reports.

“Saleh, who was fired in October as the New York Jets head coach five games into his fourth season, generated interest on the head-coaching front and was seen as one of the frontrunners for the Jacksonville Jaguars job.

His situation took a dramatic turn Thursday when Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who’d removed himself from the Jaguars head-coaching search a day earlier, re-inserted himself into the mix and became the favorite to win the job. What transpired between Wednesday and Thursday? The Jaguars parted ways with general manager Trent Baalke, making the job more attractive to Coen.

Saleh, meanwhile, was supposed to fly to Jacksonville late Thursday for an interview Friday, his second with Jacksonville. As the Coen news broke, however, he canceled that flight.”

With Coen set to take the job in Jacksonville, Saleh seemingly knew his head coaching options were just about up, and decided to take back his old DC job for the San Francisco 49ers.

Saleh immediately moves into a role with which he has familiarity with the system, knowledge of players that he already did an excellent job with, and a head coach with whom he has automatic chemistry with. And with many expecting a bounce-back year in San Francisco after a 2024 dogged with injury after injury, Saleh could well ride that train into a head coaching opportunity in 2026 or beyond.

Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas