Michael Irvin fires back at controversial Troy Aikman claim about Dallas Cowboys coaching job

Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman made magic together on the football field. But when it comes to the current state of the Dallas Cowboys, the two couldn’t be any further divided.

The Cowboys are looking for their next head coach after team owner Jerry Jones parted ways with Mike McCarthy on Monday. Aikman said on ESPN‘s “Monday Night Countdown” that he doesn’t believe Dallas is a “coveted job.” Irvin heard what Aikman had to say and responded in a fiery manner during a Tuesday appearance on FS1‘s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” Irvin accused his former teammate of engaging in “hyperbole” on national television.

“I heard Troy’s comments, and you know, I love Troy to death,” Irvin said. “… How many coaches out there? 100,000? High school, [college, pros]. … There are only 32 jobs in the NFL. 32. Each one of them jobs going to pay you above $6 or $7 million a year. How do I fix this radio on my face to say something like what he said? I love him, but how do you fix the radio on your face to sing a song like it’s not a coveted job? It’s the Dallas Cowboys. There are only 32 of them in this whole wide world. There’s coaches all over the world if they know how to coach that probably wanna coach in the NFL.

“Let’s stop saying stuff like this. This is what you call hyperbole. Just words you’re throwing out there to sound like something but there not true. It has no truth to it. This is a coveted job. All 32 of them are coveted jobs in this country and probably in this world. So, that right there is not right to even say that. Now, the Cowboys is as coveted as any other team in the NFL… Troy’s my friend but I can’t lie. I’m telling the truth.”

Troy Aikman hammers Cowboys’ leadership, questions whether job is ‘coveted’ by coaches

Aikman not only questioned the desirability of the Cowboys head coaching job but was critical of Dallas’ approach at the top. That, of course, was in reference to Jones’ hands-on approach as both an owner and general manager.

“I mean I do think that the Cowboys are obviously a high-profile team, whoever is head coach of that team is certainly going to draw a lot of attention,” Aikman said. “But I think most football people that take over as a head coach, they want to do it on their terms. That’s hard to do [in Dallas]. … If you take a Dan Campbell, for instance. Is Dan Campbell Dan Campbell if he’s with the Dallas Cowboys? It’s hard to imagine that he is. It’s hard to imagine that a lot of these coaches might be.

“Look, I think coaching matters in the NFL. I think we would all agree. Coaching matters, players matter. You have to have both. But just bringing in someone, no matter how qualified that coach might be — and I’ll reiterate, I think Mike McCarthy is an outstanding football coach, he’s proven that in this league, the number of times he’s won 10 games or more as a head coach. But you also have to empower that head coach. And I think that’s been what has been missing in Dallas since Jimmy Johnson walked out the door.”

Dallas is indeed a high-profile job like Aikman said. So much so, that Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders is listening. Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reported Monday that Jones has spoken with Sanders about the team’s head coaching vacancy.

Sanders addressed the report with Adam Schefter of ESPN.

“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Sanders said. “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”