You could recall that when Mike McCarthy first took over the Dallas Cowboys that his workers featured loads of individuals who had been head coaches earlier than. Mike Nolan had been the top coach of the San Francisco 49ers and McCarthy really labored on his workers. Jim Tomsula, the defensive position coach, had additionally been the skipper for San Francisco, albeit for a short cup of espresso.
John Fassel joined as particular groups coordinator, and whereas he had by no means been a head coach earlier than, he did function the interim head coach for the Los Angeles Rams of their first season again in L.A. once they fired Jeff Fisher earlier than the season was over. The general level is that there was lots of management on that workers.
Clearly issues didn’t absolutely materialize for that McCarthy workers (or anybody for that matter), however curiously a latest iteration of it’s now unfold throughout at the moment’s NFL in all kinds of management positions.
Mike McCarthy’s previous Cowboys workers had a number of present head coaches and coordinators
A typical theme when coaches depart for promotions elsewhere is for them to convey individuals with them. Think about how McCarthy introduced some individuals from his time in Inexperienced Bay and even Nolan from a earlier cease.
It was a yr in the past when Dan Quinn left his submit because the Cowboys defensive coordinator to change into the top coach for the Washington Commanders. He took a number of staffers (and gamers) with him and chief amongst them was Joe Whitt Jr. who grew to become his defensive coordinator.
McCarthy’s Cowboys moved on from offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after the 2022 season and he would go on to carry that very same position for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 after which in the end the Philadelphia Eagles this previous season the place he was part of the staff that received the Tremendous Bowl. Moore lastly parlayed all of it right into a head teaching position as he’s now working the New Orleans Saints, and up to date stories recommend that Doug Nussmeier, one other former Cowboys staffer, is the favourite to be his offensive coordinator.
Seems like Doug Nussmeier is the favourite to be the Saints offensive coordinator, I am instructed. Not accomplished but, however issues are transferring in that course.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) February 18, 2025
Quinn, Whitt, Moore and Nussmeier make for 4 former Cowboys staffers that now maintain head coach or coordinator positions which is a excessive determine for one group that Mike McCarthy oversaw in his time because the Cowboys head coach. There’s additionally the matter of the present Cowboys head coach in Brian Schottenheimer who was additionally part of the group.
Schottenheimer joined the Cowboys in 2022 when all 4 of the individuals we now have talked about to date have been additionally part of the staff. Take into consideration that singular group.
2022 Dallas Cowboys staffers who at the moment are head coaches or coordinators
Brian Schottenheimer, teaching analyst (Dallas Cowboys head coach)
Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (New Orleans Saints head coach)
Doug Nussmeier, quarterbacks coach (anticipated New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator)
Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Washington Commanders head coach)
Joe Whitt Jr., cross sport coordinator/secondary (Washington Commanders defensive coordinator)
If you happen to wished to you can go a step additional right here and embody the aforementioned Fassel as he’s now the Tennessee Titans particular groups coordinator, though that was the identical place he held in Dallas and subsequently it isn’t a promotion just like the others.
In the end we’re speaking about 5 staffers who obtained critical promotions nearly immediately after leaving the Cowboys. That requires context clearly as Schottenheimer’s was inside the group, Whitt’s was as part of becoming a member of Quinn’s workers and Moore’s took two extra years to totally occur. It’s nonetheless attention-grabbing, although.
What would you attribute all of that to? Folks speak so typically about Mike Shanahan’s previous workers in Washington and the variety of future head coaches that it held and we are able to assign some degree of credit score to Shanahan for constructing the group. Will we give the same sense of credit score to McCarthy? Ought to we?
Or does the credit score, for lack of a greater phrase, belong to the gamers? Do Kellen Moore, Doug Nussmeir and Brian Schottenheimer all owe a debt of gratitude to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb for elevating their statuses? Ought to Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. ship Micah Parsons and Co. an edible association? If we embody Fassel, ought to he thank Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin?
It’s actually unusual on some degree that the Cowboys have failed (when it comes to the general purpose) a lot recently and did so with this complete group all working collectively and that one thing about them was deemed to be precious sufficient in different situations. Generally issues work out in a humorous means like that.
Who is aware of what else that 2022 group will in the end yield. For now, Quinn and Whitt have an NFC Championship Sport look and Moore has a Tremendous Bowl title.
