Troy Aikman didn’t water down his feelings toward his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, by not bringing back Mike McCarthy as head coach.
Aikman, while appearing on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” before calling the NFC matchup between the Rams and Vikings, said he was caught off guard by contract negotiations between a coach of McCarthy’s caliber and the Cowboys who collapsed on Monday.
“I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so it’s a little bit of a surprise to me today that he’s not,” Aikman said. “It suggests there’s no real plan, the fact that they haven’t had a chance to interview maybe a (Lions) Ben Johnson, some of them, Aaron Glenn .
“What (Adam) Schefter said about (Eagles offensive coordinator) Kellen Moore being a candidate, that makes sense to me. A guy who knows the building, the Cowboys, Jerry Jones – they know each other very well. Beyond that, it’s hard to imagine.
Aikman, who won three Super Bowls in Dallas, then questioned whether the Cowboys were still a sought-after destination for top coaching candidates — even if they were “America’s Team.”
“As far as a coveted job goes, I don’t know if that’s accurate,” Aikman said. “I think the Cowboys are obviously a top team. Whoever is the head coach of this team will definitely attract a lot of attention. I think most footballers who take over as head coach want to do it on their terms. It’s difficult to do. If you take Dan Campbell (of the Lions) for example, is Dan Campbell Dan Campbell if he’s with the Dallas Cowboys? It’s hard to imagine that he is. It’s hard to imagine that many of these coaches can do it.
“I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years. I wish them good luck. But to say it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I would necessarily agree with that.
Jones’ omnipresence and role as general manager make the Cowboys a very unique situation, one that McCarthy seemed to navigate during his five-year tenure that ended Monday.
“Over the past week, Mike and I have had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and our staff, and have also spent considerable time discussing the path forward for the team,” Jones said in a statement.
“These discussions were thorough and given appropriate time and depth. However, before we got to the point of contract negotiations, it became clear to all of us that it was best for each of us to go in a different direction. I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family all the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here. We will immediately begin a search process to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
McCarthy went 49-35 with the Cowboys, reaching the playoffs in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but they have only won one playoff game in that span. Dallas went 7-10 this season after losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to injury in Week 9.
The Cowboys may have to play catch-up in the coaching search, as the Jets, Bears, Jaguars, Raiders and Saints have already begun the interview process. The Patriots also recently hired Mike Vrabel to fill their vacancy.
However, Fox insider Jordan Schultz reported Monday that Dallas has contacted Colorado coach and former Cowboy Deion Sanders about their coaching vacancy.
Whoever gets the job will find themselves in a situation that Aikman would like to see improve.
“I think Mike McCarthy is an outstanding football coach. He’s proven it in this league,” Aikman said. “But you also have to hold that head coach accountable. And that’s what Dallas has been missing since Jimmy Johnson walked through the door. »
