Report: Marvin Lewis told Cowboys it would be a ‘must’ to hire Hue Jackson as OC

Marvin Lewis probably won’t have many — if any — legitimate opportunities to earn a head coaching job in the NFL next season, but he is apparently not going to let teams push him around during the interview process.

Lewis interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that he informed the team he would need to bring Hue Jackson with him as offensive coordinator if he got the job. Lewis reportedly said having Jackson on his staff would be a “must.”

.@MikeGarafolo reported on @nflnetwork with regards to Marvin Lewis interviewing for the Cowboys head coach job that Lewis wants to bring Hue Jackson as his offensive coordinator. Garafolo said that he was told it is a "must" that he brings Jackson with him.

— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) January 5, 2020

Jackson joined Lewis in Cincinnati as a special assistant to the head coach after he was fired by the Cleveland Browns last year. He parted with the Bengals when Jackson was fired as head coach. Jackson was also the offensive coordinator in Cincinnati before he became the head coach of the Browns, so he and Lewis have a long history and close relationship.

While the candidates the Cowboys have interviewed so far show that they are prioritizing experience, Lewis would likely be an unpopular hire among fans. The combination of Lewis and Jackson would be even more poorly received.

Lewis has been linked to a few head coaching vacancies, though the Cowboys are the only known team to give him an interview to this point.