Image via Getty/Joe Robbins
The Dallas Cowboys have finally, and officially fired Jason Garrett. We all knew it was coming, but Jerry Jones took his time in firing Garrett because he looks at him like a son. That's respectable, but now the Cowboys need to find a new coach, who can get them back to the playoffs. Jerry Jones and the rest of the Cowboys front office have already interviewed Mike McCarthy and Marvin Lewis, so this search is underway, but you already know that Jones is going to have a wild card or two up his sleeve.
The Cowboys job is an attractive one with all of the talent on the roster, but they'll surely need the right coach to bring it all together. Something Garrett struggled at over the years. With the Garrett firing now official, the Complex Sports team picked out five potential head coaches that the Cowboys could hire in the coming weeks.
Lincoln Riley
Lincoln Riley has been in a hot name in NFL coaching circles for a few years now, and has often been linked to the Cowboys job. There's still some serious questions about whether or not Riley would actually leave Oklahoma, where he's built an elite program, but you already know Jerry will throw the Brinks truck at him. Jerry Jones likes to make a splash and this would be about as big of a splash as you could get.
Matt Rhule
Another college coach, but unlike Lincoln Riley, people think Baylor's Matt Rhule might actually leave for the NFL. Rhule is set to interview for the Giants and Panthers this week, but you'd think Jerry Jones would like to get in on that action. Not only is the Cowboys job probably better than the other two openings, but Rhule would get to stay in Texas.
Josh McDaniels
The Patriots are officially out of the playoffs, which means Josh McDaniels can interveiw with any team to be their new head coach. He reportedly is set to speak with the Browns, Panthers, and Giants this week, but you'd think the Cowboys would get in on that. Also, with Tom Brady being a free agent, could both he and McDaniels go to Dallas? Wouldn't that be something.
Mike McCarthy
Mike McCarthy has already interviewed with the Cowboys, so there's obviously interest there. While this wouldn't be the splashiest hire by Jerry Jones, it might be the safest bet to get his team back to the playoffs. Plus, McCarthy could do some wonderful stuff with Dak going forward.
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Lewis is another candidate that Jerry Jones has already interviewed and makes a lot of sense for the job. Like McCarthy, this would be a safe hire. Lewis is a proven winner in the NFL and got a bit of a bad rap with the Bengals down the stretch of their relationship. This might not be a popular cadidate with Cowboys fans, but they could do much worse than Marvin Lewis as a head coach.