Kellen Moore Frontrunner For Cowboys’ HC Position?

Last week, Kellen Moore was named as one of two top candidates for the Cowboys’ head coaching position. He cannot be hired at this point with the Eagles amongst the four teams still in the postseason, but at this point he appears to be in pole position.

Moore is currently the frontrunner for the Dallas gig, Jon Machota of The Athletic writes (subscription required). A hire cannot be made until the Eagles are eliminated, and the Cowboys cannot conduct an interview this week as Philadelphia prepares for the NFC title game. Once Moore become eligible for a return to Dallas, though, it will be interesting to see if it takes place.

The 35-year-old became the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach in 2018, shortly after his playing career ended. Moore took over as offensive coordinator one year later, beginning a stretch in which Dallas generally enjoyed strong production on that side of the ball. In three of Moore’s four seasons leading the offense, the Cowboys ranked sixth or better in scoring. Then-head coach Mike McCarthy elected to take over as play-caller for 2023, though, and Moore found himself on the move as a result.

Last year, the Chargers hired Moore as their OC. The team finished in the bottom half of the league in total and scoring offense, and with Jim Harbaugh being brought in as head coach it came as no surprise sweeping changes were made to Los Angeles’ staff. Once again, Moore did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, as he took on offensive coordinator duties with the Eagles for 2024.

Philadelphia ranked top-eight in yards and points during the regular season, thanks in no small part to a career-best campaign from running back Saquon Barkley. While the Eagles have faced consistency problems in the passing game, their success has put Moore squarely on the head coaching radar for the 2025 hiring cycle. In addition to being the first candidate to speak with the Cowboys about their vacancy, he has interviewed with the Jaguars and Saints.

A report from Friday named Moore along with former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten as strong contenders for the Dallas gig. The latter is held in high regard by owner Jerry Jones, but his distinct lack of coaching experience would make it a surprise if he outright replaced McCarthy on the sidelines. A role of some kind could still be in play for Witten, who has previously been mentioned as a future head coaching candidate in Dallas.

As Machota notes, a stronger sentiment exists amongst fans for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders or Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be tapped for the Cowboys job. Neither of them have interviewed for the position yet, though, and especially since that is the case Moore is the candidate to watch at this point. While Dallas is expected to expand its search in the coming days, all other names appear to have ground to make up.

Via PFR’s HC search tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand for Dallas: