Headache or opportunity? Former Cowboys quarterbacks weigh in on the head coaching job

Former Cowboys quarterbacks in the media have had a lot to say about the organization as of late.

The Dallas Cowboys are looking for a new head coach. There are a lot of theories about who would be the right man for the job. From former head coaches looking for a change of scenery to red-hot coordinators looking for a promotion, there are certainly options. Even former Cowboys players coaching in the college/high school ranks have surfaced as potential candidates.

Speaking of former Cowboys players, a couple of quarterbacks from the ‘90s were asked about the Cowboys coaching job, and they each offered up two contrasting viewpoints.

It’s not a job coaches would covet

FOX broadcaster Troy Aikman said on Monday that he was surprised the team moved on from Mike McCarthy. With the delayed decision and not getting a jump on meeting with other candidates, Aikman doesn’t believe the Cowboys have a plan, and he’s not so sure that this would be a job that many new coaches would covet. He stated that the Cowboys are a high-profile team and that whoever is the coach will draw a lot of attention.

He’s absolutely correct. The Cowboys are a circus. The number of clowns running around varies depending on who you ask, but regardless of how silly you think they are, most would agree that this team is a big attraction. This is the most valuable franchise in sports for nine years running despite not advancing past the divisional round in 30 years. This is the product of Jerry Jones who turned an already popular enough team that they were coined “America’s Team” into an organization people won’t stop talking about. No head coaching job is easy, but in Dallas you have swifter waters to navigate through thanks to the pandemonium that is Jerry Jones.

Additionally, Aikman stated that most new head coaches want to go to their new team and do things on their terms. They’re not getting that kind of freedom in Dallas. They don’t get to fully configure their own coaching staff and sometimes have to inherit a coordinator of Jones’ choosing. Wade Phillips was given Jason Garrett, Jason Garrett was given Rob Ryan, and Mike McCarthy was given Kellen Moore.

Jones is a meddler. He played football at Arkansas, and as owners go, he’s pretty knowledgeable, but as a general manager, that’s a different story. He’ll always be involved, and there’s no way around that. His son runs the team budget and they’re pretty set in how they operate, so if a new coach has a new roster-building strategy, good luck with that.

It’s a challenge, but it can be advantageous

Aikman wasn’t the only former Cowboys quarterback with some thoughts on the subject. NBC color commentator Jason Garrett sees things a little differently, and to be fair, he has a much better vantage point considering he’s also a former head coach of the Cowboys.

On Tuesday, Garrett talked about what type of coach would thrive in Dallas. He emphasized leadership and communication. And it isn’t just leading your staff, but leading upward in the organization. It’s important to have a clear vision of what you want the team to be and get the Joneses to buy off on it.

Instead of trying to change Jerry Jones, one has to embrace the dynamics within the organization. You listen, you work collectively, and you have to have the discipline to make the vision come alive. During his time with the Cowboys, the team had success when they stayed disciplined and everyone was on the same page and didn’t when they weren’t.

While Garrett was never able to help the Cowboys go on a deep playoff run, he has a strong understanding of the situation in Dallas. He views it as more opportunistic than a headache and that is why he survived as long as he did.

Most new coaching jobs are from teams that are struggling. That is not the case in Dallas. They are a good football team with many good players. They’ve made it to the postseason in three of the last four seasons with this past year being the exception and a lot of that had to do with injuries. When you really think about it, this is a pretty good situation.

Yes, they’ll always have to deal with Jerry Jones and the occasional media question about why your owner said this and that. Jones will always sit at the head of the table, but he has shown the ability to listen and make good decisions when he has the right people around him. If a new guy comes in with some new ideas and the right type of influence, it might not be as difficult as we think to make a good team great and be the coach that finally gets them to the conference championship game.