Cowboys Rumors: Jon Gruden, Jason Witten, Carroll, Kingsbury, Kiffin Linked to HC Job

Mike McCarthy is out as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Who will be his successor?

Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Monday that "in speaking with various people with knowledge of what could be on the table for the Cowboys in the coming weeks, along with connecting early dots, here are some names to keep an eye on as the process now kicks into high gear."

He then listed Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, former Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, former NFL head coach Pete Carroll and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin as potential candidates.

Harris noted that he believes Moore is the "early leader" for the Cowboys' vacancy. The 36-year-old not only played for the Cowboys in his NFL career, he also served as the team's quarterbacks coach in 2018 and offensive coordinator between 2019-22 before stints with the Los Angeles Chargers (2023) and Eagles (2024) as the offensive coordinator.

One interesting note on Moore's coaching stint in Dallas was that he was kept on the staff after Jason Garrett was fired and McCarthy was hired. Coordinators don't often survive coaching changes.

Gruden, 61, was the head coach for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders in two separate stints (1998-01; 2018-21) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, going 117-112 with five playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title. He resigned midseason in 2021 after anti-gay, racist and misogynistic emails he wrote over a 10-year period were leaked publicly. He would be a splashy but controversial hire.

Witten, 42, was an 11-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro selection in his NFL career, spending 16 of his 17 NFL seasons with the Cowboys. He has no NFL coaching experience but has won two state titles as the head coach at Liberty Christian High School in Argyle, Texas. He's a favorite in Dallas, but his lack of NFL coaching experience would make him a very risky hire.

Pederson, 56, is 64-66-1 in stints with the Philadelphia Eagles (2016-20) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2022-24), with four playoff berths and a Super Bowl title to his name. The Jaguars limped to a 4-13 record in 2024, however, and Pederson has only recorded one campaign with more than nine regular-season wins in his coaching career.

Kingsbury, 45, was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals between the 2019-22 seasons, going 28-37-1 with one playoff berth. He also served as the head coach at Texas Tech (2013-18) and the offensive coordinator for the Commanders, working with quarterbacks like Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels in his career. He's been considered a bright offensive mind during his coaching career.

Carroll, 73, is a coaching legend, having won by a national championship as the head coach of the USC Trojans and a Super Bowl title with the Seattle Seahawks. In his NFL career he's accumulated a 170-120-1 record with 12 playoff berths. There are questions about his age and whether such an accomplished coach would be able to coexist with the hands-on approach of team owner Jerry Jones, however.

Finally, the 49-year-old Kiffin has had a glow-up in recent years as the offensive coordinator for Alabama (2014-16) and head coach at Florida Atlantic (2017-19) and Ole Miss (2020-present). He had a meteoric rise in the coaching ranks earlier in his career, earning jobs as the head coach of the Raiders (2007-08) and USC Trojans (2010-13), but both ended poorly.