Is Deion Sanders a real option to become the next head coach in Dallas?
Mike McCarthy’s departure has opened up a Texas-sized hole in the coaching staff for owner Jerry Jones. A plethora of names have already been associated with the job since McCarthy and the Cowboys mutually parted ways.
Though he’s been steadfast in vocalizing his desire to stay at Colorado, Sanders appears to be a real possibility to take over the team he once starred for.
Longtime Dallas-based reported Ed Werner recently said that Sanders “would almost certainly” take the job if offered. He also reported that “those around [Sanders] are encouraging him to pursue it and that Jones is enamored with the idea.”
Dallas has been a relative mess dating back to when the team was last a Super Bowl contender roughly 30 years ago. Large chunks of mediocrity coupled with postseason flameouts and an inability to live up to expectations have characterized the standing of the Cowboys in recent memory.
Bringing Sanders into the fold would be wildly fascinating if nothing else. He has obvious ties to the franchise, and Jones could look at Sanders being the guy who brings Dallas back to the time when they were a Super Bowl threat. Sanders himself would command a massive amount of respect from those in the locker room. You’d expect him to put together a good staff as well.
At the same time, potentially appointing Sanders as the head coach comes with some real question marks.
Sanders has limited experience as a head coach. In three years with Jackson State, he went 27-6. It helped that his squads had a considerable talent advantage compared to the rest of the teams he played against (though he lost both bowl games with the Tigers).
At Colorado, the Buffaloes have gone 13-12 with him in charge. To be fair, he’s brought a sizable buzz to Boulder and has completely revitalized the program through marketing strategies employed via social media platforms.
Sanders has an undeniable gravitas — and an additional level of prestige people can rally around. Dallas doesn’t necessarily need the bump in exposure given its reality as the most beloved brand in the sport. Still, it can’t hurt.
Aside from his questionable coaching track record, both of Sanders’ sons (Shedeur, Shilo) are going to be draft-eligible. Shedeur put up some monster numbers as his father’s signal-caller. Shilo is an undersized yet physical defensive back. Of the two, Shedeur has the most hype. Some believe he could be a top-10 pick — though others are split on how good he can ultimately be. Shedeur has somewhat average arm strength and similarly average athletic ability. Having said that, he’s highly accurate, competitive, and tough.
Dallas has the No. 12 Overall pick in this year’s draft. There are a lot of holes on the roster — and the quarterback spot isn’t necessarily one of them depending on what you think of Dak Prescott.
If Sanders does indeed take over the job, would Jones feel comfortable with Sanders almost certainly pushing to draft his kid as the new face of the franchise? There are levels of nepotism seen in all sports — though this stage could uncomfortably expose some things.
For all we know, Shedeur could turn out to be a future All-Pro. He also could turn out to be a major bust, and the pressure on Sanders and Jones would be increased ten-fold with a fan base that’s not overly forgiving.
Either way, it would be wildly fascinating to see Sanders get the job — if for nothing else the press conferences would be highly entertaining.
