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

2. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines HC

Jerry Jones has never been shy when it comes to making a splash. Perhaps his biggest and most fruitful splash in his tenure as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys came prior to the 1989 season when he convinced the great Jimmy Johnson to leave the University of Miami, where he enjoyed tremendous success, to head to the NFL to head up America’s Team. That hire helped pave the way to three Super Bowls in 1990s, though Johnson wasn’t the head coach for all of them. 

So what if Jerry wanted to follow that formula once again with Jim Harbaugh?

Look, Harbaugh is an odd duck. We know that, some love that, some hate that. Anyone who drinks a cold glass of milk with a steak isn’t what you would call a normal person. But it also sometimes takes someone who goes to the beat of their own drum to reach another level, which is what the Cowboys desperately need. 

On top of that, the trademark of Harbaugh beyond his myriad of idiosyncratic behaviors is that he’s won everywhere he’s been, both in college and the NFL. He was 29-6 at low-level San Diego to get his start in college football before taking over at Stanford where he build the Cardinal program from going 4-8 in his first season to 12-1 and the No. 4 team in the country in his final season there. 

That made way for him to move to the NFL ranks as he took over the San Francisco 49ers. He never had a losing season over four years with the franchise, led them to a Super Bowl and three NFC Championship Game appearances, and revived a proud organization. Then, of course, he eventually returned to his alma mater at Michigan and just won a national championship.

It would definitely be a circus for the Cowboys to hire Harbaugh. But when you talk about a proven winner at every single level and someone who can build a winning, new, and different culture, Harbaugh checks every box that Jones would be looking for.