National Football League

Jimmy Johnson doesn't envision Cowboys hiring Deion Sanders

Published Nov. 26, 2024 5:58 p.m. ET

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Jimmy Johnson doesn't see the Dallas Cowboys hiring a fellow franchise icon as their next head coach if they get rid of Mike McCarthy this offseason.

The former Cowboys head coach said on FS1's "The Facility" that while he has respect for Deion Sanders, he doesn't envision him coaching Dallas. 

"No, I don't think that's going to happen," Johnson said when asked if he thinks Sanders could end up as the Cowboys' next head coach. "Don't get me wrong, I love Deion, I love Prime. But his strength is bringing in talent. He's got an outstanding coaching staff. That's one reason why they've got where they are. But I don't see it happening there in Dallas."

Jimmy Johnson doesn't expect Deion Sanders to take Cowboys job if available

Sanders has also repeatedly said he plans to stick at Colorado for the long haul after turning the program from a one-win squad to a potential College Football Playoff team in two seasons. However, Sanders' former Cowboys teammate and close friend Michael Irvin threw out the possibility that the Colorado coach would want the Dallas job if it drafted his quarterback son.

"I believe 100% and I can tell you, good sources have told me that," Irvin said when asked on "The Herd" last week if he thought Deion Sanders would be willing to go to the Cowboys if the team selected Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

"Great sources have told me that. That's all I can say like that without violating anything else." 

Sanders has taken a bit of an unorthodox approach in building Colorado into one of the top teams in the Big 12. The majority of his roster was acquired through the transfer portal, notably bringing along two-way star Travis Hunter with him when he left Jackson State at the end of the 2022 season. 

Johnson agreed with "The Facility" co-host LeSean McCoy that Sanders could have success at the NFL level, but he believes his style fits the college game more.  

"I agree. He can bring out the best in talent, and that's part of it, bringing out the best," the "FOX NFL Sunday" analyst said. "I think he would be successful. I think he's a better college coach, though. College coaching is recruiting. Professional coaching is coaching. That's the difference between the two, and I did both." 

Of course, the Cowboys still have Mike McCarthy employed as their head coach. Jerry Jones teased the idea of possibly extending McCarthy after the season even though Dallas is currently 4-7 while the head coach isn't under contract for 2025. 

Jones also referred to McCarthy's Super Bowl credentials as a reason why he has confidence in the head coach. Johnson also believes that McCarthy is a "heck of a football coach." 

"I don't think coaches forget [how to win], but they lose players because players win Super Bowls," Johnson, a two-time Super Bowl winning head coach, said in defense of McCarthy. "You've got to have players and you've got to have the right coach. So, it's a combination of the two. Bill Belichick, he didn't forget how to win Super Bowls, but he lost players. You've gotta have both. I've seen some really talented teams that couldn't make it past the first round of the playoffs because they didn't have the right coaching staff. 

"You look at some of the coaches around the league, there's no bad coaches. But they've got some great coaches. You put a great coach with a talented team, he's going to win it."

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