New Favorite Emerges for Cowboys Head Coach as Deion Sanders Tumbles

Think you know what rattles around inside the mind of Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones? Don’t bet on it.

Actually, scratch that: Just like anything, you can bet on it these days.

In fact, on Friday, the market on the one thing that Jerry Jones is most concerned with these days–finding the Cowboys’ next coach–underwent a bit of a wild ride, as one candidate stormed to the fore. Fans of the team might not much want to hear it, but former Cowboys offensive coordinator and quarterback Kellen Moore pulled into the favorite’s chair over at Draft Kings.

Moore, who is also preparing for the playoffs as the OC of the Eagles, interviewed for the job during the week. Deion Sanders had an informal interview with Jones to start the week, and former Jets coach Robert Saleh is slated to speak with Jones on Saturday.

Kellen Moore the Favorite After Interview

But as The Athletic pointed out, after Moore’s interview, he shot up the betting chart, which got so volatile that DK pulled it off the board for a bit before reinstating the bets on Friday:

“On Friday, Moore interviewed virtually with the Cowboys and jumped into pole position as the favorite on DraftKings (-125) for the head coach opening.

“Sanders, now +175, was the betting favorite earlier this week at +100 odds with Moore behind him at +250. Public interest around the celebrity coach’s next move spiked after reports that Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones had discussed the role with him. That said, ‘Coach Prime’ has remained coy about his interest in the job, and Jones has spoken less formally with Sanders.”

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is No. 3 on the list, at plus-350. Joe Brady (plus-450), Ben Johnson (plus-550) and Bill Belichick (plus-650) are also in the mix, from a gambling angle, at least.

Cowboys Went 49-35 With Mike McCarthy

McCarthy had been with the Cowboys for five seasons and had posted a 49-35 record during his tenure, which included three straight 12-win seasons. He has a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Packers, but was unable to find postseason success in Dallas, going 1-3 in his three playoff runs there.

McCarthy coached throughout 2024 in the final year of his contract, and despite a big spate of injuries, managed to keep the team competitive down the stretch, going 4-3 in their final seven games to finish at 7-10.

When he let McCarthy go, Jones said in a statement, “Throughout Mike McCarthy’s tenure here, including the last several weeks, I have been very complimentary of the job he has done. That has applied to our record over that time period, our team unity and culture, Mike’s qualifications and track record of success, and on a personal level as a tremendous human being. I have great respect for Mike, and he has led the team through some very unique and challenging times during his tenure.”