7 Mike McCarthy replacements Cowboys need to hire after another playoff disaster
4. Mike Vrabel, Former Tennessee Titans HC
Let me get out in front of the idea that the Cowboys hiring a head coach who was just fired being a bad idea. The Tennessee Titans absolutely made a mistake firing Mike Vrabel after the 2023 season.
Make no mistake, the Titans have not been good for the past two years. The club went a combined 13-21 over those seasons, which is not acceptable. But that is more of a statement to where the Tennessee roster is at right now with the decline of Ryan Tannehill, an awful offensive line, and a patchwork defense with plenty of holes than it is an indictment of Vrabel's coaching ability.
Before we saw the state of the Titans roster decline to where it is now, though, you could make the argument that Vrabel consistently over-achieved with a roster that was good but far from great in Nashville. He led the franchise to the AFC Championship Game in 2019, which started a run of three straight playoff appearances as well.
All told, Vrabel was 41-24 in the four seasons prior to the last two years. He's a culture-builder with an eye for coaching talent and who has deep roots around coaching circles. Players love him and completely buy into what the head coach is selling. Furthermore, he brings a mentality that is far different from the lackadaisical and ill-conceived coach-speak that McCarthy exudes.
Yes, the optics of hiring a head coach who was just fired might not be ideal. But if the Cowboys want to win a lot of football games still and potentially find the right guy to push this team to the next level, Vrabel quietly has the make-up of someone who could do that while manning the sidelines.
3. Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions OC
Back to another bright young mind in a coordinator role looking for his first head coaching opportunity, there might not be a hotter name on the coaching carousel this offseason than Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. And when you see the results he's been able to get from the team that just won the NFC North this season, it's hard to argue as to why his services are so coveted.
Johnson was handed the keys to the Lions offense going into the 2022 season and has wrought splendid results, even when the talent in Detroit has been lacking to a degree. With Jared Goff at quarterback, the Lions have ranked seventh and fifth in Offensive DVOA over the past two seasons. Yes, they’ve improved the talent on that unit with a concerted effort, but Johnson has also more than maximized what this team is capable of.
The enticing proposition for Johnson being hired as a head coach, particularly when you consider a team like the Dallas Cowboys, is what he could do with more talent. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the offensive line are all upgrades from their Lions counterparts while the defense is also notably improved talent-wise as well. If he can prove that he can be a sideline and locker room CEO, the potential is incredible.
We’ve already seen that Johnson has been interviewed – or has interview request at least – by several NFL teams looking to fill head coaching vacancies already. There is going to be competition for him but those jobs pale in comparison to the possibility of being the top guy for America’s Team. If Jones is willing to give the keys to the 37-year-old, it could be a Super Bowl-winning move for the Cowboys.