Kellen Moore, Jason Witten among early candidates for next Dallas Cowboys head coach

The Dallas Cowboys have officially moved on from Mike McCarthy and are on the hunt for their next head coach. In speaking with various people with knowledge of what could be on the table for the Cowboys in the coming weeks along with connecting early dots, here are some names to keep an eye on as the process now kicks into high gear.

Kellen Moore, Eagles offensive coordinator

While this is expected to be an extensive interview process and any placement of a favorite would be wildly premature, this is my early leader for who the Cowboys could land on.

Not only was Moore a backup quarterback for Dallas for three seasons, but his experience as quarterbacks coach in 2018 and offensive coordinator/playcaller from 2019-2022 also serves as a wealth of insight that the front office already has on him.

Additionally, Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have remained big fans of Moore, even since his departure from the team in 2022. While there would have to be a hatchet buried between Moore and the front office from how his exit from the building went down, it’s not viewed as something that would be difficult to overcome.

The timeline on how quickly the Cowboys could bring in Moore for an interview and/or move on making him the next head coach could get complicated, as the Eagles are in the middle of a playoff run that will extend at least one more week into the divisional round.

Jon Gruden, former Raiders head coach

While this is another complicated option, there is mutual respect between the Joneses and Gruden.

His divorce from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 was messy, as it was revealed that he had sent misogynistic, racist and homophobic emails to people around the league criticizing various league personnel, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell being one of the bigger names he spoke down on.

However, Gruden is a name that shouldn’t be thrown out, according to one source, but Gruden’s lawsuit with the NFL and Roger Goodell as a result of the emails being leaked would have to be navigated.

As a head coach, he has a career record of 117-112 with a postseason record of 5-4. A Super Bowl champion in 2002 while the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gruden would fulfill a desire of having a Super Bowl-winning head coach by the Joneses. While he has had sparing success in the league, his influence and fiery coaching style has drawn interest from teams in years past.

Jason Witten, former Cowboys tight end

This is your darkhorse candidate.

Despite no NFL experience, Jason Witten has drawn the praise of Jerry Jones for his offensive knowledge and said on a radio interview during the fall that Witten can be a top NFL head coach one day.

Since his retirement from the NFL in 2020, Witten has been the head coach at Liberty Christian High School in Argyle and has won two state championships with the Warriors.

There is a feeling with some around the Cowboys headquarters that Jerry Jones could try to replicate the process of hiring a former player like Detroit did with Dan Campbell to further expand on the “players’ coach” identity that Mike McCarthy built during his five years in Dallas.

Regardless of if Witten lands the head coaching job or not,it’s widely expected that he will be on the Cowboys staff in 2025 in some capacity.

Doug Pederson, former Jaguars head coach

A Super Bowl winner in 2017 as head coach of the Eagles and someone with nine total seasons of experience coaching in the NFC East in Philadelphia, Pederson makes sense on the surface despite a rough end to his tenure at his previous home in Jacksonville.

As a head coach, he owns a total record of 64-66-1 and a 5-3 record in the postseason. His five winning seasons in eight years could be enough for an interview, although this is viewed more as an option if the process becomes extensive and other top candidates are off the table.

His most recent stop in Jacksonville saw him start with back-to-back winning seasons before a 4-13 campaign in 2024 that led to his firing. The final year came while starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence battled injury and his defense was tied for 27th in points allowed.

Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders offensive coordinator

An experienced offensive mind that has been credited with accelerating the development of Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Caleb Williams and now Jayden Daniels, Kingsbury could be looking to come back to his home state of Texas if interest is shown.

With a big quarterback contract put into Dak Prescott and a cemented star at wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb, maximizing the offensive side of the ball is going to make a lot of sense when factoring in the next head coach. With that, Kingsbury will be a name to watch.

With four years of experience as head coach for the Arizona Cardinals, Kingsbury made the playoffs just once and was bounced in the wild card round. His NFL coaching record sits at 28-37-1 with a postseason record of 0-1.

But in 2024, he called an offense that was responsible for possible offensive rookie of the year Jayden Daniels leading the Commanders into the playoffs and the fifth-best scoring offense in the league. His revival in Washington has drawn the interest of coaching vacancies around the league.

Pete Carroll, former Seahawks head coach

Despite being 73, Carroll has let it be known that he is still open to coaching in the NFL and will engage with any opportunities put in front of him.

With 18 seasons of NFL head coaching experience, a Super Bowl in 2013 with Seattle and a college football national championship in 2004 with USC, the winning pedigree could entice the front office to bring him in. In his final 12 seasons with the Seahawks, Carroll had just one losing season.

He has experience with 2024 offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer if the Cowboys look toward keeping consistency on the offensive side of the ball. Additionally, Pete Carroll would bring a similar defensive mindset that Dan Quinn had in his three years as defensive coordinator in Dallas from 2021-2023.

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss head coach

Experience with his father, Monte, as defensive coordinator in Dallas in 2013 and a potential desire for an offensive-minded college coach could make Kiffin a realistic option.

With just a $4 million buyout from his contract at Ole Miss, it could also make a lot more financial sense than other college coaches with larger buyouts such as Texas head Steve Sarkisian or USC head coach Lincoln Riley.

Simply a name to monitor at this point, but it shouldn’t be a surprise if interest kicks up between both sides.