Kellen Moore, Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
With San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel being named the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins, the big winner of the coaching carousel has to be the Dallas Cowboys.
Now that the Miami Dolphins are hiring Mike McDaniel to be their next head coach, no team was bigger winners coming off the coaching carousel than the Dallas Cowboys.
The job that went to the former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator could have potentially gone to Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, as he was also a finalist. This comes after Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn removed himself from consideration for other head-coaching vacancies after he was not hired to lead either the Denver Broncos or the Chicago Bears.
With both top coordinators presumably returning, the Cowboys are in a great position to take control of an NFC in flux next season.
Dallas Cowboys come out big winners after the latest coaching carousel
Unless Moore sees himself as the next head coach of the Houston Texans or the New Orleans Saints, or if Quinn goes back on his word, these two top coordinators are returning to Dallas for a second season together. Given the amount of upheaval in the NFC North and the NFC South, this is Dallas’ time to take advantage of the conference being in transition and go assert its dominance.
Though a ton can change in the coming weeks and months, Dallas needs to win the NFC East again and get back to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1995 for next year to be a success. This is a team with a loaded roster and a strong staff certainly capable enough of being a top-four team in the league next year. If not, then there is no chance Mike McCarthy comes back.
While retaining Moore and Quinn is massive, it just puts more pressure on the Cowboys to go win.