7 reasons to doubt your candidacy as a coach

When Bill Belichick fled for the college ranks in December, there seemed to be no one left in this season’s NFL coaching carousel to keep an eye on the search process. At least that was the case until Monday evening.

That’s when it was revealed that Colorado coach Deion Sanders had been in contact with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who confirmed earlier in the day that the team would be parting ways with Mike McCarthy after five years. Sanders himself later confirmed the connection.

“Hearing from Jerry Jones is really gratifying and fascinating,” Sanders told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday night. “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. When you put it on, process it and think about it, it’s fascinating. But I love Boulder and everything it has to do with our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”

Even without formal interviews, perhaps the biggest brands in soccer coaching and American team sports are now connected.

The 57-year-old Sanders ensured quick turnarounds at both Jackson State and Colorado. In his second season leading the Buffaloes, he posted a 9-4 mark and helped Travis Hunter win the Heisman Trophy. Given his impressive track record in the college ranks and his work as a Hall of Fame Cowboys cornerback – including playing a key role in the franchise’s last Super Bowl title in the 1995 season – it’s easy to see how Big interest in Dallas’ part materialized first.

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But as Sanders knows well, not all coaching jobs are comparable – especially not those that involve working for Jones, the owner, general manager and decision-maker who decides all matters relating to “America’s Team.” And even if both sides are expected to continue talks, several obstacles or even potential deal-breakers could lie ahead.

Here are seven reasons why Sanders’ candidacy with the Cowboys could eventually fail – with the caveat that both sides could be proven wrong in the coming weeks:

1. There is no easy way for the Cowboys to sign Shedeur Sanders

Although Deion Sanders has long signaled that he is more than content to remain in Boulder, he recently realized that a possible lineup at the pro level is interesting.

“The only option I would consider (an NFL job) is coaching my sons,” Sanders said last week on “GMA3: What You Need to Know.”

Sanders emphasized that this would mean both sons playing football: Shedeur, the quarterback who won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and Shilo, a safety.

Jones was undoubtedly an advocate for incorporating family into one’s career – just look at his star turn during his “Landman” cameo for confirmation. And finding a way to secure Shilo shouldn’t be too much of a problem for any franchise interested in the Sanders family. But a chance at the former could be a dead end for Dallas.

Put the Dak Prescott thing aside for a minute – we’ll get back to it. The Cowboys are currently projected to take 12th in the first round of April’s NFL Draft. Shedeur Sanders, meanwhile, is widely viewed as a top-three prospect in a class lacking sure-fire first-day signal-callers. To move into one of the top two spots, which currently belong to the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, respectively, the Cowboys may have to give up something similar to the Chicago Bears of two years ago. The package to go to No. 1 included wide receiver DJ Moore, the No. 9 overall pick, an additional first-rounder (who would become the top pick in 2024) and two second-rounders.

That would be quite a question in any interview, especially given that Jones couldn’t negotiate with other teams from a position of strength in any scenario where he tried to move up. But that’s probably all a pipe dream anyway, partly because of point #2.

2. Trading Dak Prescott is a non-starter

Jones is just over four months away from making Prescott the highest-paid player in league history with a four-year, $240 million extension. Even after a difficult 7-10 season in which Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury, he left the 2023 MVP runner-up and one of his personal favorites to embark on a costly search for an unknown — albeit a talented one – to leave – would be a remarkable turnaround for Jones.

It is also completely unprofitable.

A move for Prescott before June 1 would result in a dead cap hit of $103.2 million, according to Over The Cap, a figure that would be more than 20% higher than the Denver Broncos’ record loss amount of $85 million for firing Russell Wilson.

There’s also the small matter of Prescott having a no-trade clause. This essentially means there are no chances for a possible Shedeur-Deion pairing in Dallas.

3. The personnel problem

Hitting a wall in a potential push for Shedeur would be just one of the first of likely many player acquisition frustrations for Deion.

In Colorado, Sanders was able to quickly reshape the team’s roster to his liking using the transfer portal. In Dallas, he would largely contend with holdovers from the McCarthy era, with Jones resisting all calls to give up his GM powers and rejecting a broader realignment each year. And with the Cowboys currently projected to be just over the cap, according to Over The Cap, it’s a good bet that Jones will once again be pulling out his bags to explain why the team will once again be sitting on the sidelines for most of the game Agency action.

4. The financial aspects may not be right for Jones

To secure Sanders, Jones would have to pay an $8 million buyout to Colorado. The cost-conscious owner let the contracts of his last two coaches expire, so this additional fee may be difficult for him to tolerate.

And any negotiations with Jones could prove difficult given how he has resisted dead money for coaches, including when he spoke to USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell last summer about McCarthy’s lack of an extension last summer.

5. The experience factor

Perhaps Jones is willing to take a leap of faith after his experience with McCarthy. But three of his last four hires have had NFL head coaching experience, and the win-now mandate remains.

Like any college coach without prior experience managing a professional team, Sanders should be expected to have a learning curve ahead of him if he makes the jump. Would Jones be able to tolerate that given the makeup of his experienced team?

6. It might be difficult to assemble the right coaching staff

Unlike Jim Harbaugh, Sanders can’t rely on former pro coaching connections and a strong existing staff to quickly assemble a group of pro-ready assistants. His most experienced advisor in a possible move would be offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, whose units ranked in the bottom third of the league in three of his last four professional years as head coach of the New York Giants and offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos. Is he capable of igniting an offense that has lost its spark and needs to create something beyond the connection between Prescott and CeeDee Lamb? While Sanders might be able to bring in some of McCarthy’s assistants to make the transition easier for everyone, it might be difficult for the CEO-style head coach to surround himself with the right coaching support, at least in the first year.

7. The talks could be mutually beneficial even if they go nowhere

To be fair, there are enough reasons for both sides to explore this possibility. However, the upside for Sanders and Jones doesn’t rely entirely on a partnership coming together.

Sanders, who said in November that he had his “hard” in Boulder, appears to be in line for a contract extension after exceeding expectations just two years into his five-year, $29.5 million contract. Talking about career options with the 82-year-old owner, who can spend as much of his estimated $16.6 billion net worth on trainers as he wants, can’t hurt his cause.

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7 reasons to doubt your candidacy as a coach

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