7 Mike McCarthy replacements Cowboys need to hire after another playoff disaster

6. Mike Macdonald, Baltimore Ravens DC

Some people bristled at the notion that Baltimore Ravens head coach was shaking things up on the defensive side of the ball going into the 2022 season when he promoted young Mike Macdonald to defensive coordinator. Since Harbaugh made that move after a longtime stint with Wink Martindale, though, the Ravens defense has taken off.

Despite not having some of the defensive stars that we've seen in the history of Baltimore -- though most teams in the league would be over the moon with guys like Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey -- Macdonald has completely maximized what this unit is capable of. The Ravens ranked eighth in Defensive DVOA in the 2022 season and were the best defense in the league by that metric in the 2023 campaign.

Still only 36 years old, Macdonald could be a shot in the arm for the Cowboys. His defensive prowess could continue what Dan Quinn has built over the past few years on that side of the ball, while his time spent with the Ravens working his way up that organization could provide intimate knowledge as to how to build a winning culture and building that could truly help the Cowboys get over the hump.

Macdonals is one of the hottest head coaching candidates on the market this offseason and for good reason given what he's already proven about his merits at such a young age. If the Cowboys want to incur a little bit of risk but with a ton of potential reward if it works out, then the Ravens DC would make a ton of sense making his way to the DFW.