Wade Phillips (Finally) Fired, So Who’s The Next Dallas Cowboys Coach?

Nov 8, 2010, 9:03 PM UTC

Now that Wade Phillips has finally been fired in Dallas, it's time to look ahead to the future. Who out there might make sense as a replacement for head coach of the Dallas Cowboys? Here's an incomplete, mostly arbitrary list of the early front-runners to replace Wade (with odds, natch).

God, doesn’t he just look unemployed?

Anyway, with the replacements, we begin with this guy right here, because this guy has a reputation for being tough-as-nails and smart as a whip, and that seems like what THESE GUYS need if they want to succeed in the National Football League.

Jon Gruden 5/2: Yes, aside from being the most redundant announcer in the history of Monday Night Football and maybe a little bit of an impaired learner, Jon Gruden’s record as a head coach speaks for itself. He will be hotly contested this offseason, and he can afford to pick-and-choose where he ends up. And if Jerry Jones throws a bunch of money at him, wouldn’t the Cowboys be an ideal situation for a veteran like Gruden?

Jason Garrett 5/1: Well, yes, Jason Garrett has long been a punching bag for Cowboys fans and a punchline among the national media, but you can’t deny that Jerry Jones likes him. If the Dallas Cowboys rally under Garrett this year, don’t be surprised if Garrett gets himself a shot at the head coaching job for the long-term. Did you know he went to Princeton?

Bill Cowher 8/1: He’s older than Jon Gruden and less likely to leave the television ranks, but Cowher’s been linked to Dallas since the day he left Pittsburgh. It’s a long shot, but keep in mind: the Cowboys make more money than just about any team in football, and Jerry Jones is completely willing to overspend if he feels like he’s found the right man to guide his Cowboys. If he throws $8-10 million at Bill Cowher, all bets are off. That would be stupid, yes. But God knows Jerry Jones isn’t known for his prudence.
Leslie Frazier 1,000/1: HA! Just kidding, nobody will ever hire Leslie Frazier or anyone like him. By that, I don’t mean “black coaches”, but, “career assistants who have succeeded everywhere they’ve ever been.” No, no. It makes more sense to throw $30 million at someone like Bill Cowher..

Nick Saban 20/1: Eh, it’s a long shot...