In a stunning bit of news from Thursday, reports are out there that the Dallas Cowboys are interested in former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Not only are they interested in Carroll, but the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting the Super Bowl winning head coach has already met with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
This comes after other reporting stating Dallas was closing in on a deal with Brian Schottenheimer to be their next head coach. The irony of course being Schottenheimer was once Carroll’s offensive coordinator in Seattle from 2018-2020.
While the Cowboys mull over Brian Schottenheimer’s two days of interviews with the team, @startelegram has learned that there has been interest in former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll and that he has spoken with Jerry Jones.
Decision is in the hands of Jerry.https://t.co/xAvC7evOm6
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) January 23, 2025
Carroll is clearly on the hunt for a new job in the NFL. He has already interviewed with the Chicago Bears, who eventually chose Ben Johnson from the Detroit Lions. He has also interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders. But an opportunity to get back into the league with the Dallas Cowboys? Now that would be one way for Jerry Jones to make a splash… and we all know how much Jones craves constant media attention on his Cowboys.
However, it is precisely the Jerry Jones factor that could prevent Carroll from becoming Dallas’ next head coach. It is well documented and exhibited how much control Jones wields in the Cowboys organization, as it eventually led to the split between the team and the legendary Jimmy Johnson – who is in a rare club with Carroll as one of the only three head coaches (along with Barry Switzer) to win a college national championship and a Super Bowl. \
Carroll had ultimate say in Seattle when it came to personnel, even outranking general manager John Schneider. It is, quite frankly, impossible to imagine he would have similar power in Dallas with Jones looming over his shoulder.
Still, the allure of returning to the league is a powerful driving force, and Carroll brings stability and culture-resetting power. Perhaps this might be a situation where one or both men decide to relinquish a little power themselves in order to build a legitimate contender.
