Kellen Moore To Stay With Cowboys
Kellen Moore will remain the Cowboys’ OC in 2020 as a member of new head coach Mike McCarthy‘s staff, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In addition, the team will add former Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel to serve in the same capacity in Dallas, and it is also hiring Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator and Jim Tomsula as defensive line coach.
Moore, 30, had drawn interest from Washington for the Pac-12 program’s OC job, but Mike Garafolo tweeted yesterday that the expectation was for the wunderkind coach to stay with the Cowboys.
Despite Dallas’ disappointing season, the team is intent on keeping Moore. Jerry Jones made it a point during the Cowboys’ HC interviews to express his desire for Jason Garrett‘s eventual successor to retain Moore. And McCarthy is a fan of the one-year coordinator. One year remains on Moore’s contract.
Although Moore went to Boise State, he is from a town southeast Washington. So, the Huskies OC job would generate natural appeal. And McCarthy being an offensive-minded coach would stand to lessen Moore’s impact with the 2020 Cowboys. But Jones being in the young coach’s corner will likely make a difference in shaping McCarthy’s offensive staff.
Under Moore, the Cowboys jumped from 22nd in total offense to first from 2018-19. Dak Prescott surpassed his previous career-high yardage total by more than 1,000, and his 30 touchdown passes were seven more than his previous career high. The fourth-year quarterback fell one yard shy of Tony Romo‘s single-season Cowboys record. The franchise appears to be on the verge of a McCarthy-Moore partnership, which would be an interesting meld of offensive philosophies given that the new head coach is steeped in the West Coast offense and Moore ran a version of Air Coryell.
Latest On Mike McCarthy's Cowboys Staff
- In addition to missing out on the Ron Rivera boat, the Giants wanted to speak with Mike McCarthy again, Vacchiano adds. The Cowboys swooping in prevented such an opportunity.
- Shifting to McCarthy’s Cowboys staff, the team is expected to hire Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel to the same position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Fassel’s contract was up. The second-generation NFL coach will relocate to Dallas after spending eight seasons with the Rams. Fassel came over from the Raiders in 2012, when Jeff Fisher took over in St. Louis, and stayed on with Sean McVay‘s team for three seasons. Fassel served as Rams interim HC in 2016, after the franchise fired Fisher. The Rams are losing their DC and ST coordinators, with Wade Phillips also out of the picture.
- Other candidates have surfaced to relocate to Texas. Cowboys assistants expect Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan to be named Dallas’ new defensive coordinator, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Nolan was the 49ers’ head coach in 2005, when McCarthy served as San Francisco’s OC. Additionally, Redskins defensive line coach Jim Tomsula is on McCarthy’s radar, per Pelissero (on Twitter). Tomsula was the 49ers’ HC in 2015 and has been the Redskins’ D-line coach since 2017.
Giants Request To Interview Jason Garrett
The Giants have requested permission to speak with former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Garrett, of course, will not return to the Cowboys, but permission is required since he is technically under contract until January 14. 
[RELATED: Giants Lose Matt Rhule To Panthers]
On Tuesday morning, the Giants lost out on top target Matt Rhule. The former Baylor head coach agreed to terms with the Panthers moments before his scheduled flight to New York, forcing the Giants to shift to backup options, including Garrett.
Although Garrett’s Cowboys disappointed in 2019, he had his fair share of accomplishments in Dallas, including a 6-0 record against the G-Men over the last three seasons. All in all, Garrett coached the Cowboys to an 85-67 record since taking over as HC midway through the 2010 season.
The Giants have cast a wide net in their search, as shown in PFR’s tracker. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Patriots wide receivers coach Joe Judge, Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, and Cowboys assistant Kris Richard are also on the radar.
Cowboys’ Kellen Moore Considering UW Job
New Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy would like to keep offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on his staff, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. However, he’s also mulling an opportunity to return home and become the new offensive coordinator at the University of Washington.
[RELATED: Giants To Consider Jason Garrett]
Moore ran a Air Coryell offense in 2019, though former head coach Jason Garrett might have been the one pulling the strings on the scheme. McCarthy leans more towards the West Coast offense and he apparently believes that Moore can adjust to his preferred style.
Moore is a native of Prosser, Washington, so the UW job would presumably hold lots of appeal. At the same time, the Cowboys job would probably be more lucrative for him.
The Cowboys’ offense got off to a roaring start in 2019, though their three consecutive wins to open the season came against the lowly Giants, Redskins, and Dolphins. With hiccups on both sides of the ball, Dallas finished the year 8-8 and ceded the divisional crown to the Eagles.
Jerry Jones Wants To Keep Kellen Moore
- Not only is Mike McCarthy a fan of 30-year-old Cowboys OC Kellen Moore, Jerry Jones spoke of his desire to keep the young coordinator on staff in each of the Cowboys’ interviews, Breer notes. The Cowboys promoted Moore to OC last year, and Dak Prescott had by far his best season as a passer under the former Dallas quarterback’s guidance.
Coaching Rumors: Panthers, Rhule, McDaniels
The latest from around the NFL:
- Saints assistant Mike Nolan is a name to watch as new Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy searches for his next defensive coordinator, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears.
- The Panthers‘ interview with Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will take place in Minneapolis on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reports. The Browns could also schedule a chat with Stefanski for that same day. During Stefanski’s first full season at the helm, the Vikings ranked as a top-10 offense in points. With Stefanski on the sidelines, the Vikings also managed a 26-20 win over the Saints on Sunday to advance to the divisional round.
- The Giants‘ interview with Baylor head coach Matt Rhule has been scheduled for Tuesday, Schefter hears. After that, they’ll meet with Patriots OC Josh McDaniels on Wednesday. Both interviews will take place in New Jersey.
- At least 4 NFL teams have expressed interest in former Giants head coach Pat Shurmur as an offensive coordinator, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. Shurmur has also heard from “a college team or two.” Shurmur was fired by the Giants after amassing a 9-23 record over the course of two disappointing seasons.
Cowboys Could Keep Kellen Moore
New Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is a fan of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (on Twitter). McCarthy hasn’t made any firm decisions on his staff, but it seems like McCarthy is more than open to keeping Moore in his current role. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Hire Mike McCarthy]
Moore, 31 this summer, took over for Scott Linehan prior to the 2019 season. The Cowboys’ offense lacked consistency throughout the year, but McCarthy isn’t necessarily placing the blame at Moore’s feet.
Marvin Lewis – the other only known candidate for the Cowboys head coaching vacancy – was reportedly eyeing Hue Jackson as his OC. The hiring of McCarthy means that Moore will have a chance to stay in Dallas, despite the departure of Jason Garrett.
Speaking of McCarthy – Rapoport hears that he has landed a five-year pact with the Cowboys. The financial terms of the deal are not yet known.
Cowboys Hire Mike McCarthy
The Cowboys have hired Mike McCarthy as their new head coach, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). A formal announcement and press conference will come later this week. 
The Cowboys dragged their feet on letting Jason Garrett go, but, at long last, they finalized his dismissal over the weekend. They also kicked off their head coaching search by interviewing McCarthy and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. It didn’t take long for them to find their man.
As our head coaching tracker shows, McCarthy was one of the more popular names on the interview circuit. Before meeting with the Cowboys, McCarthy also interviewed for the Panthers, Browns, and Giants vacancies. The longtime Packers HC was out of the NFL for the entire 2019 campaign, but he spent the season studying film and designing plays in preparation for his next opportunity. That’s a plus, since McCarthy has been criticized for his play calling in the past.
McCarthy was fired by the Packers in December 2018, ending a 13-year run with the franchise. Over the years, he amassed a 135-85-2 record, including a 10-8 mark in the playoffs. Most notably, he led the Packers to the Super Bowl XLV title.
In the Cowboys’ last external head coaching search, they cast a wide net before settling on Wade Phillips. This time around, they quickly locked in on a short list of candidates before hiring McCarthy. This search also included a sleepover at JJ’s place, according t ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
“Once you stay at Jerrry’s house, he doesn’t lose his guy,” the source told Schefter.
McCarthy is expected to install a totally new offensive scheme in Dallas. Since 2007, the offense has been anchored by Garrett and the aid of three different play-callers. It remains to be seen whether current OC Kellen Moore will return under McCarthy’s staff, even though he’s still under contract. On the other side of the ball, DC Rod Marinelli is out of contract, along with passing game coordinator Kris Richard.
The Cowboys believe that McCarthy – who helped groom Aaron Rodgers into one of the league’s top quarterbacks – will pair well with star Dak Prescott. Even though the Cowboys finished .500 this year, Prescott had a strong individual season on the whole as he set new career-highs in passing yards (4,902) and touchdowns (30) with eleven interceptions.
Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order
After a weekend full of drama and upsets, four more spots have been determined in this year’s NFL Draft order. Most notably – the Patriots will pick No. 23 overall, their highest original pick since 2006.
Here’s the updated rundown, from Nos. 1-24:
1. Bengals (2-14)
2. Redskins (3-13)
3. Lions (3-12-1)
4. Giants (4-12)
5. Dolphins (5-11)
6. Chargers (5-11)
7. Panthers (5-11)
8. Cardinals (5-10-1)
9. Jaguars (6-10)
10. Browns (6-10)
11. Jets (7-9)
12. Raiders (7-9)
13. Colts (7-9)
14. Buccaneers (7-9)
15. Broncos (7-9)
16. Falcons (7-9)
17. Cowboys (8-8)
18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)
19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)
20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)
21. Eagles (9-7)
22. Bills (10-6)
23. Patriots (12-4)
24. Saints (13-3)
Cowboys To Focus On Coaches With NFL Experience
The Cowboys will focus their search on coaches with extensive NFL experience, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen. That would rule out several candidates from the college ranks, including former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley, Baylor’s Matt Rhule and Florida’s Dan Mullen. 
Over the weekend, the Cowboys interviewed former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, two men with lengthy resumes in the pro ranks. They also took the long-expected step of formally announcing that Jason Garrett would not return to the team in 2020.
Also of note – the Cowboys spoke with former Rams and Titans head coach Jeff Fisher via phone, according to Mortensen, but it’s not clear if he’ll be considered for the vacancy. Fisher famously boasts a near .500 record in the regular season (173-165-1) with a 5-6 record postseason and his three-year layoff from coaching may be a barrier. Still, Mortensen notes that Fisher is held in high regard by owner Jerry Jones and team vice president Stephen Jones. When we last heard Fisher’s name, it was in connection with the XFL.