(Updated Friday after news broke of Scott Linehan's departure as offensive coordinator)
Now that the NFL season is all wrapped up for the Dallas Cowboys, there is still plenty of work to be done in preparation for the offseason. Dallas will need to evaluate the team and turn their eye to the NFL Draft, all before mini-camps begin before we know it leading up to training camp in July. The main focus at this time will be signing pending free agents and locking up the coaching staff for the upcoming season. Let’s focus on the latter.
Here are three potential replacements for Scott Linehan:
James Coley
Along the same lines of having ties back to their Miami days, Coley is one outside candidate to be considered. He was recently named offensive coordinator at Georgia after being the co-offensive coordinator for the Bulldogs in 2018. Coley has been with Georgia since 2014 as the wide receivers coach before the promotion. He was with Garrett and Linehan in Miami under Nick Saban from 2005-2006. He moved on to Florida State (his alma mater) and the University of Miami (Fla) before joining Georgia.
Coley’s offense is very similar to what the Cowboys are doing currently. They are a run heavy offense that builds their passing attack off of that. This past season, their offensive splits were 63/37 in favor of the run. They didn’t ask their quarterback to have to carry the load, much like Dallas. Bringing in Coley seems like it could be favorable for Dallas, especially with his ties to Jason Garrett from their time with the Dolphins.
The big question is would the recently promoted Coley leave Georgia to pursue an offensive coordinator position with Dallas? Some feel that Coley is on the fast track to running his own program at the college level. Not to mention the fact that, without knowing if Garrett will be back beyond 2019, does he take the chance on potentially being out of a job a season later? It seems unlikely but he is a name that should be circled for the time being.
Dan Campbell
This name should be familiar to Cowboys’ fans as Campbell is a former tight end who spent time here under Sean Payton and Bill Parcells. Campbell is now the tight ends coach for New Orleans and assistant head coach. Any movement with him will have to wait until after their season ends this week or after the Super Bowl. Campbell also has ties to Garrett as he was in New York when Jason was a backup quarterback with the Giants.
For all intents and purposes, Dan Campbell is seen as a no-nonsense coach. He is viewed as someone who believes in being disciplined. This trait is a big reason why he was promoted to interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015 when Joe Philbin was relieved of his duties. The only knock on this hire would be the fact that Campbell hasn’t been an offensive coordinator in charge of calling plays for an offense.
They all have to start somewhere and given his ties to Parcells, Payton and Garrett, Dan Campbell should be on a very short list of candidates.
Doug Nussmeier
Nussmeier is the internal candidate that could be up for the promotion to offensive coordinator if the Cowboys decide to move on from Linehan. Nussmeier spent time as the coordinator for the Florida Gators over the last three seasons in the swamp. The former Idaho quarterback spent time coaching in the Canadian Football League, Arena League, NCAA as well as the NFL after his playing career was done. Before becoming a play-caller at Alabama, Michigan and Florida he was given his first NFL gig as a quarterback’s coach under Linehan at St. Louis.
His loyalties could lie with Linehan as he was brought in under Scott after joining him with the Rams, but he also has ties to Saban. Since Jason Garrett is a part of Saban’s lineage, Nussmeier would perhaps be more likely to stay under Garrett if the opportunity arose. Also, unlike Campbell, Nussmeier has experience calling plays, just not at the NFL level. Promoting Nussmeier would likely be a seamless transition for the team as the system and terminology would be the same for Dak and the offense.
The Cowboys aren’t likely to make any (major) changes to the staff until after the Pro Bowl, which they will be in charge of coaching. Following the Super Bowl or the week of, these are the four names who most likely will be in play for calling plays for the Dallas Cowboys heading into the offseason.
Do you think the Cowboys should stick with Scott Linehan as their OC or should they be looking for a different coach to lead the offense? Share your thoughts with Patrick on Twitter @DraftCowboys