Tennessee Vols legend Jason Witten has reportedly been linked to the Dallas Cowboys head coach opening since owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy parted ways after failed contract negotiations.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Witten would be among a shortlist of candidates the Cowboys would be interested in hiring for the opening. Witten joins Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, and former NFL head coach Jon Gruden.
Any of those hires would be intriguing as the Cowboys look to create a spark within the struggling franchise with the hire. Witten most notably spent 16 years in Dallas as the Cowboys' all-pro tight end.
The Elizabethton, Tennessee, native earned 11 Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections on the way to a Hall of Fame career. He totaled 13,046 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns throughout his 17-year career.
After his playing career, he began his coaching career at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. Witten was named the 2023 High School Coach of the Year after going 14-0 and winning the TAPPS Division II State Championship.
Witten has amassed a 36-3 record in three seasons at Liberty Christian and has built a powerhouse program from the ground up after several losing seasons before Witten was hired.
The Cowboys could be looking to make a splash hire in the hopes of entering a new era. That new era could be led by a former Tennessee and Cowboys legend who has already proven he knows how to build a winning program and has almost two decades of NFL playing experience to lean on as a head coach.
While his success is impressive, his lack of college and professional coaching hinders the likelihood that he becomes a serious contender for the job, but I wouldn't rule him out yet if the Cowboys can't hire their first couple of options.