2025 Cowboys coaching staff could feature former players

The Dallas fanbase and media have been in a frenzy since Mike McCarthy’s departure was announced. At this point, the questions are endless, but the main one is who will fill out the Cowboys coaching staff.

As the days have passed, we’ve inched closer to clarity on that mystery, as Jerry Jones schedules interviews with candidates and reporters leak out well-sourced information.

https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/1879937567837286728

We’re even hearing about coaches who could fill vacancies outside the head coach position, which is peculiar given that the coach usually handles that, not the ownership or front office beforehand.

The names linked to smaller roles on the staff suggest a potential trend: Dallas appears focused on hiring their former players.

Specifically, four former members of America’s Team are serious contenders to join the Cowboys coaching staff in 2025, and one name is picking up some serious steam. Let’s discuss those four potential coaches and their prospects of landing back in Dallas.

Kellen Moore: Former QB Could Be Next HC

There is an obvious first name on this list, as he is currently the favorite to become the 10th head coach in Cowboys franchise history.

Kellen Moore, Dallas’ former quarterback, assistant coach, and offensive coordinator could return to the Cowboys as McCarthy’s successor. In fact, he completed his interview with the front office yesterday.

After being fired by the Cowboys in 2022, Moore ran the Chargers’ offense in 2023 and is currently the offensive coordinator for the Eagles.

https://twitter.com/dallascowboys/status/1880390166457774265

As a backup quarterback, Moore was known for his football IQ, which led to his coaching career straight out of retirement. After all, the guy has been coaching for seven years in the NFL, and he is only 36 years old.

Moore’s candidacy has brought some serious angst among the fanbase, as many are calling it Jason Garrett 2.0.

While it’s hard to argue with the similarities there, we won’t know how Kellen Moore will be as head coach until he’s running the show.

Deion Sanders: Prime Time’s Dallas Return?

The many Cowboys fans fearful of a Moore regime, a continuation of the status quo, and a lackluster hire, may find their perfect alternative candidate in NFL Hall of Famer, Deion “Prime Time” Sanders.

Coach Prime, as he became known at Jackson State and Colorado, is looking like a real option for Dallas with every passing day.

The “mutual interest” appeared at first to be nothing more than a contract extension tool for Sanders in Boulder, and a media-frenzy play for Jerry Jones. That tide is turning, however, and his odds of joining the Cowboys coaching staff as head coach are skyrocketing.

https://twitter.com/PFF_Fantasy/status/1879185453649170798

Sanders, while still seemingly behind Moore at this point, is a real candidate for this job. His connection to the Jones family, impressive collegiate coaching record, and personality are all intriguing.

Now, we can’t ignore the fact that hiring Sanders would be a money-making, media-storm hire for the Cowboys; that’s a given when it comes to Prime Time.

However, a good move for media coverage isn’t always a bad football move. Deion Sanders would shake things up and offer a new way forward for Dallas, and that may be the best thing for an organization stuck in the mud.

Jason Witten: Future HC, Current Heir Apparent?

Back in November, Jones seemingly hinted at Cowboys legend Jason Witten one day becoming the Dallas head coach. Two months later, his name is now in circulation to make that come true.

Witten, 42, has been the head coach at Liberty Christian High School in Argyle, Texas since 2021. In that time, he has won two state championships.

Now, we’re all discussing where he will make the jump from high school to the pros, LeBron James style.

In reality, Witten will be considered for the head coaching gig, but he is much more likely to join the Cowboys coaching staff in a smaller role with the long-term goal of becoming the head coach.

https://twitter.com/Underdog__NFL/status/1878896203611742613

Essentially, he would be the heir apparent in waiting for whoever accepts the job now.

The problem with that move is that it could deplete the interest in the head coach job if all the candidates know there is somebody on the staff who is being actively groomed to take their job in 2–4 years.

It would be fun to see Jason Witten back on the sidelines for the Cowboys, but it has to be done in the right way, and it can’t interfere with the next head coach’s plans.

DeMarco Murray: College Coach To The Pros

Former All-Pro Cowboys Running Back DeMarco Murray saw his NFL career collapse quickly after leaving Dallas in 2015, but he may have a chance at redemption with the franchise in a new role.

The former Oklahoma Sooner became Arizona State’s running backs coach in 2019 and has held the same role at his alma mater in Norman since 2020.

Now, it seems he’s under consideration to make the jump from college to the NFL as the next running back’s coach in Dallas.

https://twitter.com/Brandoniswrite/status/1880250060627407158

Murray is only 36, but his future in coaching seems bright, and a promotion to the league would certainly continue his impressive track. What concerns me is that this could be another hire forced upon an incoming head coach.

Until a coach is hired, you don’t hear about smaller positions on the staff, because those are for the incoming guy to fill.

Between Murray and Witten, it seems Jerry Jones and the Dallas front office have big plans on how to fill the Cowboys coaching staff as they deem fit. That isn’t the right way to go, and it could be another overstep by overbearing ownership.

Ultimately, it seems likely we’ll see at least one former Cowboy player join the team on the sidelines as a coach. The question is who will it be?