4 Mike McCarthy replacements the Cowboys need to start pitching to right now

The Dallas Cowboys have a big offseason ahead of them and it all starts with the guy seated in that head coaching position. Mike McCarthy isn’t done but he’s sort of been hung out to dry by Jerry Jones for the time being. Jones wouldn’t allow the Chicago Bears to speak with McCarthy about their coaching vacancy, yet they still have not agreed on a new contract in Dallas. It’s also been reported that Jones and the Cowboys had already been working “behind the scenes” on other candidates for the position. So, clearly, Jerry and crew are checking out their options.

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson is the hottest potential head coaching candidate soon to be on the market after helping lead the Detroit Lions to 15 wins and the No. 1 seed in the NFC this season. With the right pieces, Johnson could get the Cowboys back to the explosive offense they once possessed and out of the dark ages of Mike McCarthy’s outdated and predictable playcalling.

Dallas would be wise to wait for the Lions' postseason run to end and take a swing for the fences if Jerry Jones decides to move on from McCarthy. Cowboys aren’t championship contenders at this moment but they have pieces and can add more via the NFL Draft and free agency. The Cowboys offense was not good this year and Johnson should be able to turn that around quickly.

Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel might be the best candidate for what Michael Irvin believes the Cowboys need. Discipline. Vrabel is a no-nonsense type of coach who played for Bill Belichick in New England for the bulk of his career. Vrabel had success in Tennessee as head coach with four consecutive winning seasons and an AFC title game appearance.

While Vrabel’s last two years in Tennessee were forgettable, he’s still seen as one of the most sought-after potential hires available. Unlike some of the other Belichick tree leaves, Vrable has had some success at the highest level of coaching and is still young enough to where he could continue to grow and build a culture under the right circumstances. Those circumstances probably don’t exist in Big D, but it’s fun to daydream and think about what could be if the owner would just get out of the way.

Rex Ryan

Sexy Rexy may be a retread coach but he’s an interesting candidate. Ryan has been on TV the past few years since he was ousted in Buffalo and has allegedly been wanting to jump back onto someone’s sideline ever since. There were rumors last year about Ryan joining the Cowboys as defensive coordinator before Jerry Jones ended up bringing in Mike Zimmer.

Ryan might not be the most popular candidate for this or any job as head coach in the NFL, but you know at the least he can turn a defense around and get the most out of players on that side of the ball. Attracting the right offensive coordinator and play-caller would be the biggest issue to fix with any defensive-minded head coach and Ryan is no different.

Aaron Glenn

Aaron Glenn's name has popped up for some time now as one of the next young coordinators who could land a head coaching spot in the near future. Glenn’s defense in Detroit gave up just 20.1 points per game this season, ranking seventh in the NFL. This Lions' defense also finished with 24 takeaways which tied them for seventh in the league in that category.

This opportunistic defense has Glenn’s profile blowing up and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him land a head coaching gig very soon. The one thing Glenn doesn’t have which the others on this list do is previous experience in that head coaching seat. However, as a former player, we already know Glenn would have the same respect for the locker room as he does in Detroit. New blood can be a very good thing as opposed to always going back to those who haven’t worked out in the past.