2 Fascinating Coaching Replacements for the Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are having the worst season in recent memory, and changes to the coaching staff could be coming.

The NFL has seen teams with offensive-minded coaches lead their teams to great heights. Yes, Mike McCarthy is one of those offensive-minded coaches, but his offensive scheme was relevant when Brett Favre and a young Aaron Rodgers were leading the way.

As the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy has seen his offense fall close to the bottom of the NFL’s offensive rankings.

If a change were to be made, the following three coaches would be significant assets for the offense, and they could bring in a young, up-and-coming defensive coordinator.

Without further ado, here are the two coaches who could lead the Cowboys into the future.

Ryan Day Could Save the Day

Ohio State University head coach Ryan Day has a record of 62-9 during his time in Columbus, Ohio. He is also an offensive-minded coach who could take over a Dallas Cowboys team with a top-ten quarterback and wide receiver.

The other plus is that if the Cowboys’ disappointing season continues, he could be working with a top-ten draft pick.

What is nice about Ryan Day’s offense is its versatility. Day had this to say when being interviewed by volswire.usatoday.com,

“I think kind of the art of coaching college football is adjusting your scheme to utilize the personnel that you have at that moment.” We recruit the best players and then adjust our scheme. That’s the coach’s job, to put them in the best position to be successful.”

Adjusting your scheme to utilize personnel is one thing the current coaching staff refuses to do. An open-minded coach like Ryan Day, who can look at the players on the offensive side of the ball and make adjustments to fit their skill set, would be a welcome change.

This may also be a move Jerry Jones is willing to make if the coach is willing to use the players on the roster and adjust the scheme. Rather than wanting total control of personnel decisions.

The other benefit is that Ryan Day has NFL experience as a quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. Neither of these stops played out well for him, so he moved on to Ohio State, where he flourished as offensive coordinator.

At Ohio State this year, his passing game is ranked 31st in the country with 278.8 yards per game, and his running game is ranked 34th in the country with 186.5 rushing yards per game.

Obviously, these numbers will not be the same in the NFL, but upgraded play calling and adjustments could help the offense return to the top of the rankings.

Josh Heupel Can Make the Offense Explosive

Josh Heupel is the head coach at the University of Tennessee and a former Heisman-winning quarterback at the University of Oklahoma. He is leading one of the most explosive offenses the NCAA has ever seen.

The offense for the Tennessee Volunteers currently ranks ninth in the NCAA with 472.6 yards per game. That would be a nice change for the Dallas Cowboys offense, which would be back to the Kellen Moore-type numbers.

The rushing offense ranks seventh with 234.5 yards per game and 25 rushing touchdowns. The passing game, with a true freshman quarterback, is averaging 249.4 passing yards per game.

The great thing about Heupel is that he brings most of his coaching staff with him when he moves on to another job. This could be a plus for the defense and offensive line.

The Volunteers’ rushing attack is directly tied to the offensive line play. At the same time, the defense has the best stop rate in the country.

What stands out about Tennessee’s defensive success is their dominance on critical downs. They boast the top defense in FBS for third-down conversions, allowing just 24.3% success, and also lead in fourth-down conversions, permitting only 21.4%.

Additionally, they excel at preventing touchdowns in the red zone, having surrendered only eight touchdowns on 25 attempts.

Josh Heupel would be a great addition as the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

These two coaches have had different success stories, but one thing is for sure: They know how to adjust and get the most out of their players.

Could the Dallas Cowboys bring in a head coach from the NCAA level, or will they go with a big-name offensive coordinator from the NFL?

The most realistic possibility is sticking with Mike McCarthy, but every fan knows how that would play out.

Here’s to hoping a coaching change is made after the season. Any change in that area would be great for the team, but these two coaches could bring exciting skills to the NFL that would work well in the NFL.