Dallas Cowboys lose last hope for a head coach fans can get behind

After resigning themselves to a life with Brian Schottenheimer as the head coach, Dallas Cowboys Nation saw another option emerge.
Former Super Bowl winning head coach Pete Carroll was rumored to be a dark horse candidate for the job. While he had yet to officially interview, he reportedly spoke with Jerry Jones about the vacancy.
MORE: Cowboys may be overthinking HC search as perfect candidate is right in front of them
Sadly, the hope that Carroll would be the one to replace Mike McCarthy was short-lived. According to Adam Schefter, the former Seattle Seahawks coach is finalizing a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Sources: The Raiders and Pete Carroll are aiming to work out an agreement to make him their new head coach. The two sides are in talks, but there is no deal yet. It shapes up as an intriguing day in Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/DqPdDXXGhi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2025
Tom Pelissero added to this report, saying interested teams have been told Carroll is no longer available.
At 73 years old, Carroll was far from a long-term option but he’s a substantial upgrade over Schottenheimer, who seems destined for the job.
Dallas has conducted a strangely limited search with Kellen Moore standing out as the only other potential option they might consider. Moore, however, doesn’t have a second interview scheduled yet whereas Schottenheimer has gone through two meeting with the Joneses.
The Cowboys didn’t meet with high profile candidates Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn. They’ve also shown no interest in Kliff Kingsbury, who helped the Washington Commanders make it to the NFC Championship Game in his first season as their offensive coordinator.
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