Rumored HC candidate shares unique accomplishment with 2 former Cowboys coaches

The head coach carousel in the NFL is one that deserves its own reality show to keep up with all the rumors, drama, and intrigue of one of the most unique hiring processes in the world.

This season, the Dallas Cowboys are part of that unique search after HC Mike McCarthy and Owner/GM Jerry Jones couldn’t come to an agreement on the length of a contract extension (allegedly). It leaves the Cowboys searching for their 10th head coach in franchise history.

Whichever fortunate soul earns the right to coach the Dallas Cowboys will be added to the following list of coaches:

Tom Landry, 1960-88

Jimmy Johnson, 1989-93

Barry Switzer, 1994-97

Chan Gailey, 1998-99

Dave Campo, 2000-02

Bill Parcells, 2003-06

Wade Phillips, 2007-10 (fired midseason)

Jason Garrett, 2010-19 (2010 season as interim HC)

Mike McCarthy, 2020-24

The rumor mill is winding, and several names have been tied to the Cowboys, both formally and informally. Formal interviews have been conducted with Brian Schottenheimer, Leslie Frazier, Robert Saleh, and Kellen Moore.

They have been informally tied to names like Deion Sanders and Rich Bisaccia, along with any other washed up has-been head coach who has ever said anything about the Dallas Cowboys.

It is a rollercoaster ride of epic proportions. The favorite to land the job changes seemingly by the hour, and the beat writers closest to the team are left puzzled by the whirlwind of information and the rate that it changes. Direct questions to Jerry Jones usually go answered but unanswered in the way only Jerruh can, leaving us to speculate blindly amongst ourselves.

Whoever steps in as the 10th head coach of the most valuable sports franchise in the world has big shoes to fill. Two former Cowboys coaches share a unique accomplishment with one of the rumored head coach candidates.

The Coaches of the Dynasty

First of all, let me make it very clear that yes, three Super Bowl wins in four years is considered a dynasty. The Dallas Cowboys accomplished this feat in the 1990s, winning back to back Super Bowls in 1992-93, and returning to win another during the 1995 season.

The Super Bowl-winning coaches during that dynasty were Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. They share a unique accomplishment, and it’s not only the fact that they each can say they coached the Dallas Cowboys to a Super Bowl win. The unique accomplishment is that they also won at the highest level as college head coaches.

Jimmy Johnson was coaching the Miami Hurricanes before Jerry coaxed him to come and coach the shiny new team he just bought in 1989. Johnson was fresh off of an NCAA National Championship victory, and went on to win the Super Bowl in 1992 and 1993.

Barry Switzer replaced Jimmy Johnson as head coach in 1994 and won the Super Bowl in 1995. Before coming to Dallas, Switzer was coaching at the University of Oklahoma, where he was more successful than Johnson was at Miami.

Switzer coached the Sooners to three national championships (1974, 1975, 1985), and his Super Bowl win in Dallas cemented his legacy. Now, it’s time to reveal who the mystery head coach candidate on the same level as Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer…

Pete Carroll

**UPDATE**
According to multiple reports, Carroll is finalizing a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Pete Carroll is now rumored as one of the “favorites” to land the head coaching job with the Dallas Cowboys, and all it took was one rumor that a phone call was placed to Carroll. However, that rumor hasn’t been confirmed with anyone inside The Star.

Personally, considering who the other candidates are, Cowboys Nation should be ecstatic if Pete Carroll emerges as the favorite to win the job. He brings experience, leadership, and discipline to a team that desperately needs that extra push to get over the top of the playoff hill.

He also shares the same unique trait as Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. Carroll coached college football at the University of Southern California, turning the program into a powerhouse in the early 2000s, winning the national championship in 2005.

Carroll was then hired by the Seattle Seahawks, and won a Super Bowl as the team’s head coach in 2013, immortalizing him in both college and the NFL.