NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Dallas Cowboys: 5 Potential replacements for Jason Garrett’s increasingly hot seat

By Randy Gurzi

MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on prior to their College Football Playoff Semifinal against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on prior to their College Football Playoff Semifinal against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
IRVING, TX – CIRCA 2011: In this handout image provided by the NFL, Matt Eberflus of the Dallas Cowboys poses for his NFL headshot circa 2011 in Irving, Texas. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images)
IRVING, TX – CIRCA 2011: In this handout image provided by the NFL, Matt Eberflus of the Dallas Cowboys poses for his NFL headshot circa 2011 in Irving, Texas. (Photo by NFL via Getty Images) /

2. Matt Eberflus – Defensive Coordinator, Indianapolis Colts

People really want to believe Sean Payton is going to come back to Dallas and coach them to a Super Bowl. That’s a pipe dream though. The fact is, the Cowboys messed up in letting Payton leave back in 2006.

At the time, he was a hot young coaching candidate but they let him leave and kept Bill Parcells who was already talking about retirement. As fate would have it, the Bug Tuna did leave after a lackluster season and in came Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett.

More from Dallas Cowboys

Since then, they’ve continued to let good talent leave in favor of older coaches. Take, for example, Matt Eberflus. The former Dallas linebacker coach was rumored to be taking over the duties of defensive coordinator last season for Rod Marinelli who would either retire or take a different role.

Instead, Marinelli stayed and Eberflus went to the Indianapolis Colts. Eberflus was a huge part of the Colts turnaround from a 1-5 team to a 10-6 club that made the playoffs — and won their first-round game. He even took it to Dallas last season in a 23-0 win.

It was an embarrassing loss for Dallas and a stark reminder of the talent they let walk in the offseason. They could right that wrong here by bringing Eberflus back as the head coach of the team.

Players loved him when he was an assistant in Big D and would be able to coach many players he’s already familiar with.

Home/Dallas Cowboys