While the San Francisco 49ers might be on the precipice of promoting one former failed LA Chargers head coach, the Dallas Cowboys could be gearing up to hire another failed former Chargers head coach to replace Mike McCarthy.
Dallas has handled its coaching search in bewildering fashion, waiting to cut ties with Mike McCarthy until every other team in search of a head coach got a head start. Dominoes are starting to fall as the Cowboys are left searching for the right coach to pilot the team while big names take other jobs.
Perhaps the right man for the job — at least in Jerry Jones' eyes — is someone who is still coaching on one of the final four teams in the NFL Playoffs. Former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn has emerged as a potential candidate for the Cowboys while he and the Washington Commanders prepare to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.
Washington’s upset of top-seeded Detroit will delay for at least another week any official interviews between the Cowboys and Dan Quinn’s assistant coaches.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) January 20, 2025
OC Kliff Kingsbury is one possibility. Also, Cowboys and Anthony Lynn have recently expressed mutual interest. Lynn was the…
Cowboys and former Chargers' HC Anthony Lynn have expressed mutual interest
This could explain why the process is dragging out in Dallas. In addition to Lynn, the Cowboys have also been tied to former Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who will be on the other sideline Sunday with the Eagles.
Lynn checks several of the boxes the Cowboys seem to value in a head coach. He has former head coach experience, is a leader of men, has former ties to the organization, and is not someone who is going to step on Jones' toes (perhaps the most important part).
And to be fair to the Cowboys, Lynn is very respected throughout the league. As bad as the end of his tenure with the Chargers went, that was five years ago. Time heals all wounds and changes perception.
That being said, Chargers fans can't help but laugh at the parallels between Lynn as a head coach and what Dallas should be trying to avoid. The Cowboys have been notorious for bad game management and that was Lynn's fatal flaw. As great of a leader as he was, he could not manage the game when the lights got bright.
Perhaps he sharpened that skill while he was on San Francisco's staff and this year with the Commanders. But if he didn't, the Cowboys will somehow get a downgrade in game management from McCarthy.
Lynn also needs great coordinators around him for this to work. While he is an offensive coach, he is better suited acting as a CEO with his coordinators handling the play-calling on offense and defense. His short, failed stint as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator before Ben Johnson was hired is proof of that.
If the Cowboys can surround him with smart coordinators then this is a hire that could work out. However, with names like Jason Witten and Brian Schottenheimer attached to the team, the Cowboys may only be setting Lynn up to fail.
Thankfully, only former Chargers coaches are in the running for these head coach vacancies. Dallas would probably have more success poaching Jesse Minter from LA.