With Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers, Jason Garrett is now 28-26 as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Garrett hasn't taken Dallas to the playoffs in three seasons as coach, and Sunday's loss to the Packers puts the Cowboys in serious danger of extending their postseason drought.
Jerry Jones has publicly said he doesn't plan to fire Jason Garrett...but Jerry Jones says a lot of things (remember, we're currently seeing his best work as Cowboys GM...). If the Cowboys win both of their remaining games (@ Washington on the 22nd, vs Philadelphia on the 29th) and they make the playoffs, Garrett will probably be safe. Lose one (or both), and miss the playoffs...well, he better polish up that resume. If Garrett gets fired, here are the five most likely candidates to take over for the Cowboys.
5. David Shaw
Shaw is ready to move on after three successful years with Stanford. A number of NFL teams and NCAA programs have Shaw on their radar, and if Jerry Jones wants him in Dallas, he'll have plenty of competition. If Dallas wants a proven winner with the capacity to improve, they'll take a hard look at Shaw.
4. Ken Whisenhunt
There aren't many Super Bowl-winning coaches available, but Whisenhunt is reportedly very interested in returning to a head coaching position. If he doesn't end up in Houston with the Texans, he'll get an interview with Dallas at the very least.
3. Greg Roman
49ers OC Greg Roman has a number of fans in head coaching circles, and his innovative offensive schemes were a huge part of the reason why San Francisco ended up in last year's Super Bowl. Roman has already gotten some interest from NFL teams and major NCAA programs, and he'll be a hot commodity this offseason regardless of where the Niners end up.
As a coordinator, he doesn't have the name recognition that some of the other candidates might, but his star is rising quickly. If JJ wants to roll the dice on someone with massive coaching potential, Roman should be his guy.
2. Jon Gruden
Gruden recently extended his contract with ESPN, but that doesn't mean he'll say no if the right opportunity comes calling. One of the most highly-coveted coaches "on the market", Gruden brings the name recognition and respect that Jerry Jones will be looking for.
Gruden is open to coming back - contract extension or no, he's made it clear that he'd return to the sidelines if the right opportunity presented itself. Dallas may not be that opportunity, though - Jerry Jones may not be open to conceding decision-making power, and Gruden isn't the kind of guy who'd be comfortable with someone else calling all the shots.
1. Lovie Smith
Smith is a Texas guy who grew up a Cowboys fan, and Jerry Jones isn't going to find very many other candidates in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (okay, Mack Brown is looking for a job...but let's not even go there). He's the kind of coach that players love, and for anyone who doubts his coaching prowess - the man took the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl with Rex Grossman under center. Let that sink in for a minute.
Smith makes a lot of sense for Dallas, and he should be the first person Jerry Jones calls if Jason Garrett gets canned. He'll probably want to replace Monte Kiffin - but given how the past few weeks have gone, it isn't like a lot of fans will be sorry to see him go. Lovie Smith should be the odds-on favorite to be the next Cowboys head coach.
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Additional Reading:
Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys Visit Children's Hospital After Tough Loss
Garrett: 'We should have run the ball more'
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