The Dallas Cowboys announced Monday they were parting ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after five years together. At least one Cowboys legend wasn’t a fan of the move.
That would be former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. The three-time Super Bowl winner turned ‘Monday Night Football’ commentator was asked about Dallas’ decision on ESPN’s pregame show ahead of the Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings wild card game.
Aikman did not mince words in criticizing the Cowboys.
‘I thought Mike McCarthy would be the head coach, so this is a bit of a surprise for me today that he’s not going to be,’ Aikman said. ‘What went into those conversations that [Adam] Schefter talked about, I’m not really sure, but it suggests that there’s not a real plan.’
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Aikman went on to question the timing of Dallas’ decision, which came a week after the NFL’s proverbial ‘Black Monday.’ He pointed out that by waiting to part with McCarthy, the Cowboys missed out on an opportunity to interview some top coordinator candidates, most notably Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn of the Detroit Lions.
The NFL only permits teams to speak virtually with coaching candidates still in the playoff race if they opened the postseason with a bye. Otherwise, the coach-seeking squad must wait until either three days after a team’s wild-card game before interviewing prospective candidates.
But in the case of Johnson and Glenn, the Cowboys will have to wait until after the season to interview them – if they so desire – because they missed the initial interview window.
Aikman also opined that the Dallas job may not be as coveted as most believe. That’s partly because of the control owner and general manager Jerry Jones exudes over the franchise.
‘I do think 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. ‘I think most football people that take over as a head coach, they want to do it on their own terms. That’s hard to do.’
Aikman provided one potential coaching candidate he believed would be a good fit for the Cowboys. That was Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who previously spent eight seasons in Dallas a player and a coach.
‘That seems logical to me,’ Aikman said when discussing Moore. ‘A guy who has familiarity with the building. He worked obviously with the Cowboys and with Jerry Jones and they know each other very well. In fact, when Mike McCarthy got the job, it was told to Mike that Kellen Moore would be the offensive coordinator. So, that’s how much the Jones family thinks of him.’
Aikman did not provide an opinion on Deion Sanders’ candidacy in Dallas amid rumors that his former teammate had spoken to Jones about the opening.
Either way, Aikman is interested to see how the process plays out. But when assessing the situation with his former team, the 58-year-old simply isn’t sure how attractive the opening may be.
‘I love the Dallas Cowboys. I played there for 12 years, I wish them well,’ Aikman said. ‘To say that it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure I would necessarily agree with that.’