Cowboys coaching candidates: Stephen A. Smith names 5 best potential hires

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith is usually taking jabs at the Dallas Cowboys, but on Tuesday he opted to go in a different direction. Smith outlined the five best candidates that the Dallas Cowboys could hire after moving on from Mike McCarthy on Monday.

Smith revealed his list Tuesday morning on ESPN First Take, starting with No. 5 and working his way to No. 1. Here are the candidates he believes Jerry Jones and the Cowboys should have interest in:

5. Aaron Glenn, Lions defensive coordinator

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is getting a lot of attention as a head coaching candidate, but Smith believes Aaron Glenn should be getting looks from NFL teams, too. Glenn has been the defensive coordinator in Detroit since 2021. He helped the Lions clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC this season.

“We understand that you’ve got 13 dudes on the injured list, still the seventh-ranked defense in the National Football League,” Smith said. “We all know what a tremendous job Aaron Glenn was doing throughout this year, but especially before all of those injuries took place.

“This man is a head coach in waiting. We know it is inevitable. We know he resonates with players.”

4. Ben Johnson, Lions offensive coordinator

Speaking of Ben Johnson, Smith has him at No. 4 on his list of potential Cowboys head coaches. Johnson is a coach who every team with an opening in the NFL seems interested in talking to. The Detroit Lions led the NFL in scoring this year at 33.2 points per game, thanks in large part to Johnson’s creativity.

“This man’s play calling is something to behold,” Smith said. “Dak Prescott would definitely benefit from him being involved in that offense. Make no mistake about it, you can’t deny that. He ain’t top three, though.”

3. Mike Tomlin, Steelers head coach

The Steelers are reportedly planning on bringing Mike Tomlin back for the 2025 season, but Stephen A. Smith believes the Cowboys should at least look into if they might be able to get him out of Pittsburgh. Tomlin has been the head coach of the Steelers since 2007 and led Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl win in 2008.

However, the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016.

“I am not advocating for Mike Tomlin to leave my Steelers, but if you’re talking about a dude that’s going to resonate with cats in that locker room, if you gave Mike Tomlin a quarterback, maybe he’d have a playoff victory since 2016,” Smith said. “Dak Prescott’s supposed to be that dude, right? … I think Mike Tomlin would be an upgrade.”

2. Deion Sanders, Colorado head coach

Deion Sanders starred for the Dallas Cowboys and is close with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The two have talked about the opening, and Smith feels like Sanders would be a strong hire.

“He’s Prime Time, baby. He’s so big time, he shouldn’t even be talked about in the day time. That’s the Prime Time we’re talking about, OK?” Smith said. “Jerry Jones can have all the press conferences. He can talk after every game. … But that brother, when you talk about them being America’s team and the shine that they’re going to have, he is an asset and a contributor to that, bottom line.”

1. Bill Belichick, North Carolina head coach

Finally, Deion Sanders went with Bill Belichick as his top option to be the next Dallas Cowboys head coach. Belichick was recently named the head coach at the University of North Carolina and reportedly has no interest in entertaining NFL offers. However, perhaps Jerry Jones could get him to change his mind.

“Obviously he’s not going anywhere. This is just a wish list. … The last time I checked, doesn’t Bill Belichick have a $1 million buyout after Year 1?” Smith said. “He was famous for having absolutely no desire to speak to anybody in the media. Jerry Jones loves the media and wants to talk all day. That’s a match made in heaven. … That’s why I think that would be ideal.”