The Dallas Cowboys have parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy. On the surface, that news isn’t particularly relevant to Longhorns fans unless you’re one of the many that’s a fan of both teams. But it might become very relevant soon.
A week ago, ESPN’s Adam Schefter mentioned Texas coach Steve Sarkisian would be a name NFL teams would enquire about. Now, there’s a bona fide opening 200 miles north that would get anyone’s attention. And once again, Schefter is mentioning Sark.
Of course, Sark has plenty of NFL experience. He was the Raiders QB coach under Norv Turner in 2004. In 2017, Sark was hired by Dan Quinn as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, replacing Texas Ex Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan was hired to be the head coach for the San Fransisco 49ers.
Despite a Super Bowl appearance, Sark lasted just two seasons with the Falcons before getting fired and returning to Alabama, where he would again serve as Saban’s offensive coordinator. After two more seasons in Tuscaloosa, Sark was hired by Texas.
Sark has built a perennial contender in Austin. With Arch Manning set to become the starting QB, it would seem a bad time to leave the UT program. But the Dallas Cowboys are the premier brand in the NFL, even with a lack of success on the field for the past couple of decades.
The Cowboys are the most valuable team in the world, in any sport. Dallas, as a roster and from a resource standpoint, is far ahead of any of the other openings around the league.
On the downside, there are probably issues over control in Dallas. Historically, Dallas owner Jerry Jones likes to control the roster and even the assistant coaches. Even at age 82, there are no signs Jones will change.
Sark’s final game of the season was at AT&T Stadium, aka “Jerry World.” There’s a decent chance he’ll be coaching a lot of games there next season.
