Dallas CowboysĀ head coach Mike McCarthy is in theĀ final year of his contract, and even though the Cowboys are riding high on a Week 4 win over rivals theĀ New York Giants, thereās still talk about who could be a McCarthy replacement if Jerry Jones thinks itās time for a change. WhileĀ Bill Belichickās name has been at the top of the tongues of some NFL analysts, a new possibility is emerging, and this guy is winning with defense.
Brian Flores is āOne of the Hottest Coordinatorsā
In a September 26 feature for Sporting News,Ā Bill Bender discusses some coaching candidatesĀ to take McCarthyās place with the Cowboys. One of the more interesting ones is Brian Flores, theĀ Minnesota Vikingsā defensive coordinator. The Vikings are 4-0 going into Week 5, and their stellar record is putting Flores in the spotlight.
āFlores was with the Steelers in 2022 and has emerged as one of the hottest coordinators for his work with the Vikings this season,ā Bender noted. Elsewhere, he noted, āIt could work with Dallas if Jones wants a defensive-minded leader.ā
Other NFL analysts are also noting Floresā attention, with ESPN NFL reporter Dan Graziano saying heās āthe buzziestā name among coordinators hoping to become a head coach after this season.
āOn performance alone, heās unassailable,āĀ Graziano wrote. āThe Vikings have allowed a total ofĀ 30 points this season to the Giants, 49ers and Texans, and Flores is drawing raves for the way he disguises pressures and confuses quarterbacks. It started last season in Minnesota, but the players are executing it at a much higher level in Year 2 of the system.ā
Graziano added, āThe question with Flores as a head-coaching candidate is, of course, that he still has a pending lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in the leagueās hiring practices.ā
Flores gets more praise in a September 29 feature in Vikings Territory, whereĀ Adam New notedĀ that following the Vikingsā win over theĀ TexansĀ in Week 3, āthere was talk of the Vikings being one of the best-coached teams in the league, of OāConnell and Flores being the best offensive and defensive play-caller duo in the league, and even of Floresā stock rising in league circles that another chance at a head coaching gig could be on the horizon.ā
Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos is Another Option
Denver BroncosĀ head coach Sean Payton served as an offensive assistant for the Cowboys from 2003 to 2005, so he has some history with the team.
āPayton is a consistent winner with a .617 winning percentage between stints with New Orleans, where he won Super Bowl XLIV, and Denver, where he is working with first-round pick Bo Nix,āĀ Bender wrote. āA move like this would likely require trading draft picks given Payton seems to have Denver on the right path. Would Jones and Payton work out? Jones has been outward in his praise for Payton, and if the timing is right, it would be worth it.ā
Other candidates from the NFL Bender talks up include Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik,Ā LionsĀ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson andĀ CommandersĀ offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, but he notes the latter is more of a ālongshot given the other candidates on this list.ā He also names some college options in USC coach Lincoln Riley and Georgia coach Kirby Smart.