The way this season is going could put the Cowboys in the market for a new head coach and coaching staff. With a veteran quarterback and established offensive talent, Dallas should be able to find a good offensive coordinator.
That being said, I want the Cowboys’ next head coach to have a defensive background. This would put someone in charge who can address the team’s biggest weakness over the last few seasons, the defense.
I don’t want this to excuse the offensive inconsistency. I’m just tired of every coaching decision being what somebody can do for Dak Prescott.
Christian Parker, as we all know, is in his first defensive coordinator job after coaching the Eagles defensive passing game. He hasn’t been responsible for an entire unit, and everyone can see it.
Watching the season to this point, I think Parker looks overmatched by offensive coordinators. We have talked about the defensive unit enough. If Brian Schottenheimer can’t correct these problems, the issues go beyond just Parker.
If Brian Schottenheimer was let go, his staff would most likely go with him. This is my list of coaches worth discussing and pursuing in the event that comes true.
1. Kirby Smart Has Earned the Top Spot
Smart’s two National Championships at the University of Georgia put him first on my list, but what happened between those two titles is interesting.
Georgia lost eight defenders to the 2022 NFL Draft, including five first round picks. The next team won another championship while allowing 16.0 points per game.
I know Georgia recruits extremely well, and he had talented replacements, but his staff still had to get them ready. Keeping a defense productive through that much turnover gives me more confidence because what happens in the NFL during free agency?
His assistant hires only strengthens the argument. Kirby Smart brought Dan Lanning to Georgia as an outside linebackers coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator. Lanning helped coach the Bulldogs to a national championship before going to Oregon.
Kirby Smart elevated an assistant who became a big-time NCAA head coach and earned his own spot on this list.
I want that type of judgment in the Cowboys’ head coach. Choosing the right assistants is important, and understanding the defense yourself helps you recognize when the defensive staff needs to change some things.
Smart’s success didn’t stop with those championships. Georgia won the SEC again in 2025, and he entered this season 117-21 over ten years.
His offense has also averaged 34.6 points per game from 2016-2025. So, I’m not suggesting Dallas needs to be a team that wins a game 17-14 every week. Smart has overseen championship offenses alongside elite defenses.
That’s why he’s my first choice.
2. Dan Lanning Has Turned a Defense Around
Dan Lanning’s first Oregon defense struggled. His second one was better, and that is why he is next on my list.
The Ducks went from 74th nationally in scoring defense in 2022 to ninth in 2023. Their run defense improved from 102nd to 11th, allowing 102.6 rushing yards per game in that second season.
I want to see that kind of progress in Dallas. At some point, the excuses about learning a new system need to give way to players performing better in it.
I know those rankings don’t show the effects of personnel changes from teaching and scheme. What they show is that Oregon improved under Lanning, and the program kept winning.
Oregon followed its 2024 Big Ten championship with a 13-2 finish in 2025. He has built a record as a head coach that moves past his defensive coordinator work under Kirby Smart.
For a Cowboys team struggling to find answers on defense, that makes a Dan Lanning conversation a serious one.
3. Marcus Freeman Could Give the Offense Some Help
I want the Cowboys’ defense giving Dak extra opportunities instead of leaving him in a shootout or behind on the scoreboard. Marcus Freeman’s best Notre Dame team did plenty of that.
The Irish led the country with 33 takeaways during their 2024 national championship game season while allowing 15.5 points.
A defense that takes the ball away changes what an offense has to do. For the Cowboys, it would take the pressure off the offense having to take over the game.
Freeman followed the 2024 season with a 10-2 record in 2025, winning ten straight after opening the season with two losses. I like that this team recovered instead of imploding after the disappointing start. They have even pushed the winning streak to 16 games.
I have him behind Smart and Lanning, but Freeman has led a team deep into the playoffs and followed it up with a double-digit win season. He belongs here.
Wildcard: Bill Belichick Would Change the Conversation
Bill Belichick brings something the other three do not. Six Super Bowl wins as an NFL head coach. Now he’s chugging along at the University of North Carolina, where his first season ended 4-8. This season is looking better.
I wouldn’t hire him just because of the trophy case, but it helps grease the wheels on the decision. The problem is, they wouldn’t be hiring that coach, they get the coach he is now, and I don’t know if that is the same guy. And how much of it was Tom Brady?
But if the Cowboys think their veteran roster could use a hard-ass coach, I do, this would be the guy.
My interest would be in the defense he could build around this personnel. I want opponents to be forced to adjust their offensive game plan, and a coach in Dallas who knows what’s coming.
The offensive staff he brings with him would be the biggest question. I would guarantee some former Patriots coordinators would be in the conversation.
Belichick stays behind Smart on my list, but as a wildcard for a veteran team, he gives Dallas a great option and veteran Super Bowl winning coach aura this team hasn’t had in decades.
Wildcard: Nick Saban’s Comeback
Nick Saban is the longest shot here because he isn’t even coaching anymore. He retired in 2024 after winning seven national championships, and he has publicly pushed back on any comeback speculation.
In August 2025, he said he enjoys retirement and knew of no opportunity that would entice him to come back to coaching.
A phone call to gauge where he’s at and if the coaching bug has bite him again wouldn’t hurt anything. All he can say is, “No.”
Saban’s connection to Smart makes this fascinating. If you recall, Smart spent nine seasons under Saban as part of the Alabama coaching staff, and two prior seasons under Saban with LSU and the Miami Dolphins. Seven as a defensive coordinator, before heading to Georgia.
Part of the leadership at the top of my list developed under the coach in this wildcard spot.
The appeal would be his experience building a program where championship expectations were instilled in the players. Dallas needs more from the talent that they have, and Saban’s college accolades give him clout with veterans.
Dallas Would Have to Offer More Than Its Name
Smart, Lanning, and Freeman run entire college programs, hire staff, and the results speak for themselves. Belichick has done it at the NFL’s highest level. Saban would require convincing that this job is worth coming back for.
None of these guys would get a pass on offense. They would have to find an experienced offensive coordinator, but I don’t think that would be hard for any of these guys.
These are coaches the Cowboys can’t assume are available. Smart and Lanning have long-term contracts, Freeman chose Notre Dame over NFL interest last December, Belichick is fine, for now, in North Carolina, and Saban loves retirement.
Hiring a famous college coach doesn’t guarantee a Super Bowl, but the right coach’s judgment, backed by an organization, can change what this team becomes.
Jimmy Johnson’s success involved evaluating talent and rebuilding the roster, including the draft capital him and Jerry Jones got from the Herschel Walker trade. So a famous college coach has worked before. Let’s try it again.
I’m tired of talking about what this roster should be capable of. Bring in a coach with swagger that can get more out of this team and match the play calling of the other sideline.
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