Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones Interested In Hiring USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley To Replace Mike McCarthy

The Dallas Cowboys and GM Jerry Jones need to hire a new head coach to replace Mike McCarthy. USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley is one name to watch. Dallas indicated they are interested in Riley, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman and Iowa State's Matt Campbell. 
Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys have announced they will not bring back coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy’s deal ended after the 2024 season, and the two sides did not work out a deal. Now that the Cowboys are looking for a new head coach, USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley could be a candidate. 

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Cowboys are interested in a couple of college head coaches. Dallas is expected to check in with Riley, as well as, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman, Iowa State's Matt Campbell. 

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has reached out to Colorado coach Deion Sanders. Sanders is expected to be the favorite among the current college coaches. While Sanders has connections to the Cowboys franchise, he may want to stay with the Colorado Buffaloes and continue building up the program.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley
Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Riley’s 2024 season with the USC Trojans may not have been what was expected, but that does not take away from how well he works with quarterbacks. Riley has coached several current NFL quarterbacks, including Caleb Williams, Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray. Three of the four were Heisman-winning quarterbacks. Hurts and Mayfield both made the 2024 NFL playoffs.

During the first weekend of the 2024 season, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott signed an extension. Prescott signed a four-year extension, locking him in through the 2028 season. Prescott has not been the top quarterback in the league, but has had potential and keeps the Cowboys in playoff contention each year. The Cowboys could consider Riley a candidate with the idea that he could bring out the best in Prescott.

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The Cowboys have some top players locked in aside from Prescott, with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb signing an extension in the 2024 offseason. The next coach will not be coming into a bad situation already having a top playmaker and quarterback for years to come.

Throughout Riley’s career, he has not yet made the move to the NFL. Riley signed a ten-year deal with the USC Trojans in 2022. There is no indication of if he would be interested in a move to the NFL.

Before the Cowboys hired McCarthy in 2020, Riley was the name to watch during that process. Considering Riley’s name has been involved with the Cowboys since the 2019 season, it would not be a surprise if Dallas owner Jerry Jones is interested in Riley again.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley
Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

In Dec. 2024, there were talks that the UCF Knights were interested in Riley. When asked what he tells other schools that are interested in him, Riley shut down any rumors of him leaving USC.

"I tell them I'm a USC Trojan. I'm at the place I want to be. It's a non-starter, it's a non-issue. I'm home," Riley said.

While Riley has said he does not want to leave USC, an NFL job could still pique his interest now that the 2024 season is over. Riley is a name consistently brought up within the NFL coaching cycle ranging from a team’s offensive coordinator to a head coach. Riley has been connected to the Dallas job since earlier in the 2024 season.

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Angela Miele
ANGELA MIELE

Angela Miele is a writer covering the USC Trojans on Sports Illustrated. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Master’s in Communication and Media in 2024. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2022 from Rowan University. She graduated with a B.A. in English with minors in Writing Arts and Sports Communication and Media. Since graduating from Rowan University, she has been a contributor on various websites, most recently covering the NFL and college football for The Forkball.