The Dallas Cowboys are one of six teams looking for a new head coach after parting ways with Mike McCarthy this week. McCarthy held the job for the past five seasons and is now a free agent.
The Cowboys are potentially aiming for big names for his replacement. Reports came out during the Minnesota Vikings-Los Angeles Rams wild-card playoff game that Dallas had reached out to Deion Sanders, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Cowboys cornerback, about the position.
Sanders, currently the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes football program, said the opening was ‘intriguing’ but that he loves the school and its community.
A fellow Hall of Fame cornerback thinks Sanders could make it in the NFL.
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‘Any franchise would be lucky to have him,’ Champ Bailey told USA TODAY Sports. ‘I hope he gets a legitimate shot. … Dallas would’ve been the last place I thought he’d go, but I’m happy to hear that there’s some mutual interest there.
‘He’s ready for it.’
Sanders played for the Cowboys for five seasons (1995-1999). In that stint, he won a Super Bowl, made the Pro Bowl four times and was a first-team All-Pro three times.
Sanders’ and Bailey’s career did overlap after Sanders’ time in Dallas. The two Hall of Famers were the starting cornerbacks for the Washington Commanders (then-Redskins) during the 2000 NFL season. Bailey, in his second season in the NFL, made his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro team that year, and he started opposite Sanders, who was in his 12th season in the league at that point.
‘He’s a pro’s pro,’ Bailey said. ‘He’s a coach and his experience in the game of football and leadership, I mean he can stand up against anybody. Anybody who gets him would be lucky to have him. He’s a winner.’
Bailey pointed to Sanders’ success in Boulder with the Buffaloes as a good sign for his potential in the NFL.
‘He turned Colorado’s program around,’ Bailey said. ‘I expect him to do the same in the league if he gets a shot.’
Deions Sanders coaching record
Sanders has spent five seasons as a head coach in college, three with Jackson State University and two with Colorado. Here’s how he’s fared:
Jackson State
2020-21: 4-3 (COVID-19-affected season)
2021: 11-2
2022: 12-1
Colorado
2023: 4-8
2024: 9-4
Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy, the program’s first Heisman win since 1994.
Dallas Cowboys coaching candidates
Sanders is the biggest name among potential Cowboys coaching candidates and is the betting favorite to get the job.
Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator
Pete Carroll, former Seattle Seahawks head coach
Jason Witten, former Dallas Cowboys tight end