Cowboys insider reveals timeline on HC search amid speculation of mutual interest with Deion Sanders

Dallas Cowboys insider Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News has opened up on the timeline for the team's decision to hire a new head coach. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decided to part ways with Mike McCarthy after they couldn't come to an agreement on a contract extension.

Now, Dallas is on the hunt for a new head coach and one candidate is the Colorado Buffaloes' head coach Deion Sanders. However, Watkins says the initial three that the Cowboys will interview are Kellen Moore, Leslie Frazier, and Robert Saleh.

“They’re going to talk to three people initially: Kellen Moore, Leslie Frazer and Robert Saleh," Watkins said.

Moore is the offensive coordinator for the Eagles, while Frazier is the former Bills DC and current associate head coach for the Seahawks, and Saleh is the former New York Jets coach.

Along with those three, Watkins says there are some other names the team is interested in, including Sanders, who he expects Jones to have another conversation with but not until mid-February.

“Those three initial names are just the beginning for potential candidates for the Cowboys. Ben Johnson, who’s the Lions’ offensive coordinator, and Aaron Glenn, who’s also the defensive coordinator for the Lions, are going to also be expected to come in for interviews.

"Deion Sanders, head coach at the University of Colorado. Jerry Jones has had a conversation with Deion about the job. Cowboys will take this into probably mid-February and that’s okay.”

The Cowboys went 7-10 in 2024 and will be on the clock at No. 12 in the 2025 NFL draft.

Deion Sanders favored to be the next Cowboys head coach

The Dallas Cowboys will interview several candidates for their head coaching job, but Deion Sanders is favored to be the team's next head coach. According to TheScoreBet, Sanders has odds of -145 to be the Cowboys' next head coach, which implies a 59.2% chance. Behind Sanders is Moore at +325, Ben Johnson at +350, and Kliff Kingsbury at +500.

Sanders just finished his second year as the Buffaloes' head coach. Coach Prime took over Colorado who was coming off a 1-win team, and in his second year, he led the school to a 9-4 record.

Sanders played for the Cowboys from 1995 until 1999 and won Super Bowl XXX with the team, which is partly why he is so favored for the HC job.