ESPN's Stephen A. Smith names Deion Sanders at No. 2 in wishlist of top 5 candidates for Cowboys HC

The Dallas Cowboys are in the early stages of their head-coaching search, and Deion Sanders has already been mentioned as one of the favorites. Stephen A. Smith shared his opinion on who the Cowboys should pursue, naming Sanders as an appealing option for the NFC East team.

On Tuesday's edition of ESPN's First Take, Smith listed off his top five candidates to coach the Cowboys next. At five, he mentioned Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. No. 4 is Ben Johnson, the Lions offensive coordinator. At three, Smith placed Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Then, he went with Sanders, who won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys in 1996.

"He’s Prime Time, baby. He’s so big-time. He shouldn’t even be talked about in the daytime. That’s the Prime Time we’re talking about, OK?" Smith said.

"Jerry Jones can have all the press conferences. He can talk after every game. … But that brother, when you talk about them being America’s team and the shine that they’re going to have, he is an asset and a contributor to that, bottom line."

The No. 1 spot belonged to former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. He is set to enter his first season with the North Carolina Tar Heels after finishing his 24-year stint with the Patriots at the end of the 2023 season.

Smith said that it's unlikely that Belichick will leave, but at the end of the day, his buyout clause is only $1 million after one year.

Deion Sanders has been nothing but remarkable with the Colorado Buffaloes. He took them from a 4-8 record in the 2023-24 season to a solid 9-4 register this campaign. He's been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Cowboys, but they aren't the only ones in this race.

Deion Sanders reportedly interested in AFC head-coaching job

Besides the Dallas Cowboys, the Las Vegas Raiders have been considered a potential landing spot for Deion Sanders. The two-time Super Bowl champion is reportedly interested in taking over the Black and Silver, who have the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

His camp has reportedly been in contact with Raiders representatives to express his interest, although it remains unclear if the interest is mutual. Even though he said he wasn't interested in coaching in the NFL, Sanders is already a hot name this offseason.