FRISCO, Texas – Jerry Jones tried out all sorts of coaches with the Dallas Cowboys.

His first, Jimmy Johnson, came out of college. So did his deputy, Barry Switzer. They won three Super Bowls together. Then Jones entered the hot offensive coordinator pool with Chan Gailey, who made the playoffs in each of his two seasons. Jones rose from within, along with Dave Campo, who went 5-11 in three straight years.

Then the owner and general manager made a big move and brought in Bill Parcells, who had won two Super Bowls with the New York Giants. He then chose the defensive coordinator route with Wade Phillips and again promoted from within with Jason Garrett, whom he viewed as his Tom Landry.

After nine full seasons at Garrett, Jones returned to a Super Bowl-winning coach, Mike McCarthy, who is leaving after five seasons.

Now Jones is looking for another head coach as the Cowboys’ Super Bowl drought stretches to 29 years after going 7-10 in 2024.

Which direction could he choose now?

These days it seems like coaches are categorized as “offensive-minded,” “defensive-minded,” or “leader of men.”

Considering the state of the Cowboys’ roster, an offensive-minded head coach would make sense.

Quarterback Dak Prescott turns 32 in July. He will undergo surgery to repair a torn right hamstring but expects to be ready for the start of the offseason program. He is also entering the first year of a four-year, $240 million contract extension he agreed to just hours before the season opener.

Maximizing quarterback play has always been a priority for Jones. When Tony Romo was the quarterback, the Cowboys were “Romo-friendly.” Then they became “Dak-friendly”.

Any offensive-minded head coach — like former Cowboys and current Eagles coordinator Kellen Moore — would be looking to maximize Prescott.

And for those who forget, Prescott had a team-record 37 touchdown passes with Moore calling the plays in 2022. If Moore were coach, Prescott would run the same offense for nearly a decade instead of learning a new scheme under a new coach.

CeeDee Lamb signed a four-year, $134 million contract extension that made him the NFL’s second-highest paid wide receiver. It would make sense to find an offensive mind to further maximize his abilities.

Regardless of which direction the Cowboys go, the defense would be considering their third coordinator in three years if Mike Zimmer doesn’t return. When asked if he wanted to remain coach in 2025, Zimmer declined toward the end of the season. His unit improved over the course of the year, but still ranked near the bottom in points allowed (355.2, 28th) and yards allowed (28.5, 31st) per game.

Micah Parsons’ skills make the Cowboys’ job intriguing. The edge rusher can ruin games on his own, but the Cowboys are facing an offseason that could see key contributors like CB Jourdan Lewis, LB Eric Kendricks, DT Osa Odighizuwa and DE Chauncey Golston as free agents, while cornerback Trevon Diggs and linebacker DeMarvion are overshown recovered from serious knee injuries.

There could be a serious overhaul of the defense that would require a lot from a defensive-minded coach other than overseeing the entire team in his first year.

An offensive line coach would allow the Cowboys to continue to focus on Prescott and Lamb, while a defensive coordinator fully commits to a new program with new personnel. McCarthy always chose a defensive coordinator with head coaching experience (Mike Nolan, Dan Quinn, Zimmer) to understand the full scope of the game’s operations.

It’s possible the Cowboys continue this trend with an offensive-minded head coach.

But this is the Cowboys, and this is Jones.

Everything is possible.