Former Cowboys HC a finalist to coach Emmitt Smith’s son at Stanford

A former Dallas Cowboys head coach could be the next sideline boss for the Stanford Cardinal and to coach Emmitt Smith’s son, E.J.

The Stanford Cardinal were one of many college football teams in need of a new head coach after David Shaw announced his resignation after 12 years on the job. They went on an extensive search, that spanned the collegiate and NFL ranks. But it appears that they have dwindled down their choices to two, and one is a name that most FL fans will be familiar of.

According to The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett is a finalist for the Stanford job, alongside current Sacramento State head coach Troy Taylor.

If Garrett were to get the job, he would get the chance to coach former teammate and Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith’s son, E.J.

Former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett finalist for Stanford head coach job

E.J. Smith enrolled at Stanford in 2020, and just finished his third season with the team. Smith played in just two games however, as his season ended due to an undisclosed injury. In that span, he rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.

Garrett, of course, is most known for his tenure as head coach of the Cowboys. Although he held a 85-67 record in the regular season in his 10-years with the Cowboys, he was 2-3 in the playoffs, and the team never made it past the Divisional Round. After the 2019 season, Garrett was fired and subsequently replaced by Mike McCarthy.

The former head coach found his next job in relatively short order, becoming the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants under head coach Joe Judge. Garrett’s tenure lasted less than two years, as he was fired midway through the 2021 campaign.

This isn’t the first time that Garrett was a finalist for a head coaching job at the collegiate level. Just last year, he was in the running for the Duke Blue Devils job, which ultimately went to Mike Elko.

Garrett currently works for NBC Sports, where he’s the color commentator for Notre Dame Fighting Irish football games, and an analyst on Football Night in America.

UPDATE: On Thursday night, Garrett announced on Twitter that he was staying at NBC. He thanked athletic director Bernard Muir and “everyone at Stanford” in his tweet.

Now, we wait to see who will be the next head coach at Stanford.

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