Cowboys have replacement head coach lined up if they falter?

Dec 19, 2021; East Rutherford, N.J., USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy looks on during the second half of their game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys have looked like one of the best teams in the NFL over the past several weeks, and there has been some talk that head coach Mike McCarthy could lose his job if that does not continue into the postseason. One report even claims the Cowboys have a replacement lined up.

According to Tony Pauline of SportsKeeda, there is a belief around the NFL that McCarthy will be fired if the Cowboys do not make a deep playoff run. Should Dallas decide to move on from McCarthy, Pauline says there is “a consensus belief throughout the league” that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will be promoted to head coach.

Quinn is in his third season as defensive coordinator with the Cowboys. He was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020 prior to that. Quinn went 43-42 with the Falcons and led the team to the Super Bowl in 2016.

The 53-year-old Quinn got some head coach interviews last offseason, and there is expected to be plenty more interest in him during the upcoming hiring cycle. Though, Pauline reports that Quinn is expected to remain on McCarthy’s staff in 2024 if McCarthy is still the head coach of the Cowboys.

If Quinn has any reason to believe he is the coach-in-waiting in Dallas, you can understand why he might want to be patient. There is no guarantee that McCarthy will be fired or step down in the next few years, but the Cowboys’ head coach job is one of the most prestigious in all of sports.

McCarthy is in his fourth year as the head coach in Dallas. He has an overall record of 39-23, but the Cowboys are just 1-2 in the postseason under him. Jerry Jones gave Jason Garrett 10 seasons to try to make a deep playoff run, and it never happened.

Jones is now 81, however, so it would make sense if he is starting to get impatient. He badly wants the Cowboys to win another championship in his lifetime, which undoubtedly adds to the pressure for McCarthy and the rest of the team.