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The Top 7 Coaches the Cowboys Should Pursue: Can A 'Star' - Payton? - Be Stolen?

OPINION: The Garrett Era is about over and the coaching search is on in Dallas. Here are seven names that I would favor having lead the Cowboys into 2020.- starting with ‘stars’
Matthew Postins|
The Top 7 Coaches the Cowboys Should Pursue: Can A 'Star' - Payton? - Be Stolen?
The Top 7 Coaches the Cowboys Should Pursue: Can A 'Star' - Payton? - Be Stolen?

The Dallas Cowboys are in the process of parting ways with Jason Garrett and are looking for a new head coach. Everyone has their own idea of who they want to take over the Cowboys. We've handled the "negative seven'' ...

... a list that includes Mike McCarthy, who is interviewing with Dallas.

Here are seven coaches that I would want to see coaching the Cowboys in 2020.

Sean Payton, head coach, New Orleans Saints

He’s a Jerry Jones favorite, to be sure. And, yes, Payton is under contract. But it’s not the craziest notion. NFL coaches have been traded before, and if there is one coach in the NFL worth trading for, as it relates to the Cowboys, it’s probably Payton.

He’s won more than 100 NFL games and led the Saints to their only Super Bowl title. If the Saints were to win a Super Bowl again this season, and Drew Brees were to decide to retire and go out on top, is it out of the realm of possibility that Payton might want out of the Big Easy and engineer a path closer to his Westlake home? 

The cost for the Cowboys would be steep. But the Joneses have flirted with Payton before, as recently as last off-season. Why not do it again?

Mike Zimmer, head coach, Minnesota Vikings

Speaking of old Cowboys fan favorites, who wouldn’t love to welcome back the defensive coordinator who helped transition the Cowboys from a 4-3 to a 3-4 under Bill Parcells? He presents the same issues as Payton—he’s under contract, he would need to want to come here and he would need to be traded for—but the price may not be quite as steep as it would be for Payton. 

Here’s why: Zimmer’s contract only extends through the 2020 season. 

Vikings ownership has pledged to retain Zim, no matter the outcome of Sunday's Saints-Vikings playoff game. Could a bad Vikings outing soften ownership’s resolve?

He has the knowledge to fix what ails the defense and the list of contacts to get the offensive coaches he needs. In fact, if you think about it, acquiring Zimmer is a fine solution. Jones could let Zimmer roll over the defense while he keeps the offensive staff relatively intact (if that’s what he wants to do).

Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley. (Photo by Matthew Postins/College Football America Yearbook)
Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley. (Photo by Matthew Postins/College Football America Yearbook)

Lincoln Riley, head coach, University of Oklahoma

You just know Jerry Jones has already run this through Barry Switzer. You already know Stephen Jones is pals with Riley. And you know the credentials ...

The OU coach has led his Sooners to the College Football Playoff each of the last three years. Additionally, he’s produced two Heisman Trophy winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, and his QB this year, Jalen Hurts, finished second. I’ve seen several OU games from the sideline the past three years and what sets Riley apart from other college coaches is his ability to make in-game adjustments. He won’t try to hammer home the same thing if it’s not working. His base scheme works well for a quarterback like Dak Prescott. And he’s made adjustments to that scheme to fit the best qualities of Mayfield, Murray and Hurts. 

Riley will need help on the defensive side in terms of staffers; Fish suggests that’s a reason for Dallas to have interviewed Marvin Lewis.

And then there is the Riley to Dallas conspiracy theory: Why is there zero buzz about his candidacy anywhere? Is a wink-wink in place?

Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator, New England Patriots

Yeah, McDaniels is a little toxic, especially after what happened in Indianapolis. But he remains one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL and I think he could elevate the Cowboys’ offense in 2020 and beyond. 

Patriots coach Bill Belichick gets a lot of credit for the team’s success as he cycles talent through the roster. But McDaniels doesn’t get quite enough appreciation for how he coordinates that offense through its myriad of personnel changes. He’s a quality in-game adjuster on the offensive side of the ball and that’s apparent every time you watch a Patriots game. Plus, McDaniels values the run, even if the Patriots rotate backs in and out like a carousel.

Now, this wasn’t a banner year for the offense of the just-eliminated Patriots. And we believe McDaniels will want the sort of power generally available in Dallas. But it’s worth a probe.

Matt Rhule, head coach, Baylor University

What Rhule has done at Baylor is extraordinary. He inherited a sick environment and an untalented team and in three seasons went from one win to a berth in the Big 12 title game against Oklahoma. He has program-building bona fides and has never inherited a team that has the talent of Dallas.

Rhule is a defensive-minded coach, which could appeal to Jones after this season. Under his tutelage the Baylor defense is the best it's been in years, producing an opportunistic unit that led the Big 12 in sacks and had one of the best turnover ratios in the conference in 2019.

What might appeal most to Jones is how Rhule sets a mentality for his program and it never wavers. ... though Fish is reporting that Rhule might want the authority available to him in a place like New York, his hometown.

The Cowboys do apparently see him as "the real deal'' on some level, though.

Rhule told reporters at the Sugar Bowl that he’s not looking for an NFL job. Don’t worry, Matt. They’ll come looking for you. ... with interviews now set up in New York and Carolina.

Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs

The last time Jones hired an outside offensive coordinator with no head coaching experience was Chan Gailey in 1997 (and, hey, guess what? Gailey is back as the OC in Miami). Gailey won 18 games and led the Cowboys to the playoffs in both of his seasons. Bieniemy would fit that sort of mold, which doesn’t sound that exciting. But Bieniemy has helped orchestrate one of the best offenses in the NFL the past two seasons with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. It’s the type of offense that QB Dak Prescott would be quite successful in. Now, Bieniemy doesn’t call plays in KC, so that’s something Jones will have to be comfortable with. But Bieniemy’s offensive game plans are, by and large, a thing of beauty.

Greg Roman, offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens

You saw what Lamar Jackson did this season, right? Roman is the one that constructed the scheme to let Jackson be Jackson and allow the Ravens to become the best team in the AFC. Roman also guided San Francisco’s offense under Jim Harbaugh and helped elevate Colin Kaepernick’s profile as a quarterback. His offensive experience in the NFL is undeniable.

Roman won’t be a coordinator much longer. He’s already getting interviews. One of them oughta be in Dallas ... and one of these seven coaches coming to Dallas and staying works for me.

Want to talk more Cowboys? Connect with our staff on Twitter — @PostinsPostcard.

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Matthew Postins
MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist writes for CowboyMaven. He also writes for Inside the Rangers, CowboyMaven,DallasBasketball.com, Longhorn Country, All Aggies, Inside The Texans, Washington Football, covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com and is the Editor of the College Football America Yearbook.

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