Black Monday has come and gone and there are plenty of coaching vacancies now waiting to be filled. As teams like the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers look to fill their open positions, they will be looking to take a piece from a winning program, in order to implement that positive culture into their own franchise.
This is precisely why much of the Dallas Cowboys staff will be in jeopardy. Let’s take a look at some of the hottest candidates for other jobs that are currently on the Cowboys staff.
Will McClay
If I needed to hire a general manager, the very first person I’d call is Will McClay. Currently the Senior Director of Player Personnel for the Cowboys, McClay has been an integral part of the front office which has built the best roster in the NFC.
He, Jason Garrett, and Stephen Jones have completely rebuilt a Cowboys team which hit rock bottom in 2010, and have done so with just one losing season in six years. That’s impressive.
McClay was on the top of many team’s lists last year as well, but he declined saying that he was a Dallas Cowboy and that he wanted to finish the job he started. For our case, I hope he remains in Dallas for a few more years. But I would not be surprised whatsoever if a team like the 49ers or New York Jets came knocking down his door.
Scott Linehan
Staff writer Brian Martin touched on offensive coordinator Scott Linehan’s chances of becoming a head coach already, and the chances are very real. Linehan is getting a lot of credit for a Cowboys offense which ranks fourth in both total yards and points scored while starting a rookie quarterback.
One of the most obvious teams which should give Linehan a call are the Los Angeles Rams. Already having some solid defensive personnel, the Rams need an offensive minded coach who can come in and help to develop Jared Goff.
The problem is, Linehan already had a stint with the Rams, and it didn’t go so well. It is possible that teams will remember those failures, and not want to give him another chance.
Rod Marinelli
Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli has received an incredible amount of praise this season for doing so much with less. The Cowboys defensive personnel isn’t impressive, but Marinelli has found a way to get the absolute most out of these guys, and put them in a position to win 13 games.
His defense ranks 12th in yards allowed and fourth in points allowed this season, and his coaching is a big reason for their success. Similar to Scott Linehan, however, Marinelli’s previous stints as a head coach have not been impressive. Considering the past, and considering his age, maybe he will think it is best to remain in Dallas as a coordinator.
Wade Wilson
Wade Wilson has been the quarterbacks coach for Jason Garrett’s offense since 2007. This means that he has coached Tony Romo from undrafted rookie to Pro Bowler, and has now coached Dak Prescott from fourth round pick to Pro Bowler. That’s a pretty impressive resume.
I wouldn’t be surprised whatsoever if Wilson found himself promoted to offensive coordinator if Scott Linehan decided to take a head coaching job elsewhere.
Of course, in a perfect world, the Cowboys would retain their entire staff in 2017 and run the NFC once again. But that’s not how the league works. Some of these guys will be probably be gone, as will many of the players. Dallas will need to adjust, and bring in the right replacements in order to get back to the top of the conference in 2017.
