Deion Sanders confirms discussions with Cowboys about head coaching vacancy

Shortly after the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with Mike McCarthy on Monday, an intriguing name emerged for the head coaching vacancy.

Deion Sanders spoke with Jerry Jones about potentially becoming the Cowboys’ next head coach, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz first reported Monday. The Colorado coach is expected to be a top candidate for the job and talks between him and Jones are expected to continue, Schultz added in his report.

Sanders confirmed that he had a discussion with Jones in a statement to ESPN.

“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Sanders told ESPN. “I love Jerry and believe in Jerry. After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”

Since Sanders became Colorado’s head coach ahead of the 2023 season, he’s indicated on numerous occasions that he would like to remain in Boulder and only coach at the college level. As his sons Shedeur and Shilo Sanders depart the program for the NFL following the 2024 season, though, Sanders has recently opened up to the possibility of coaching at the professional level.

“The only way I would consider [coaching in the NFL] is to coach my sons,” Sanders said on “Good Morning America” earlier in January.

If Sanders is serious about the Cowboys job on the condition that he gets to coach both of his sons, Dallas might run into a bit of an issue. Shedeur Sanders is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the 2025 NFL Draft (No. 1 overall pick in FOX Sports’ Rob Rang’s most recent mock draft), while Dak Prescott’s four-year, $240 million extension will kick in next season. The Cowboys also hold the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, so they might have to trade up in order to acquire the younger Sanders.

The elder Sanders played on the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl-winning team in 1995, enjoying a five-year stint with the team. The Hall of Famer was named an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in four of his five seasons with the team.

Sanders began his coaching career as an assistant for high school teams in 2012. After eight years of coaching high school football, Sanders became Jackson State’s head coach in 2020. He went 27-6 with the program over three seasons, leading Jackson State to the Celebration Bowl.

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Those three seasons at Jackson State helped Sanders land the Colorado gig in December 2022. Bringing both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders with him, Sanders went 4-8 in 2023 after Colorado had a one-win season in 2022. The Buffaloes vastly improved in 2024, going 9-4 as two-way star Travis Hunter won the Heisman.

As for the Cowboys’ decision to move on from McCarthy, Jones said the two parties mutually agreed to part ways as the former head coach’s contract was set to expire Tuesday evening.

“I have great respect for Mike, and he has led the team through some very unique and challenging times during his tenure,” Jones said in a statement. “Over the past week, Mike and I had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and staff, and also spent considerable time discussing the road forward for the team. These discussions were thorough and received an appropriate amount of time and depth to cover.

“Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction. I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here.”

McCarthy went 49-35 in five seasons as the Cowboys head coach, leading Dallas to three straight 12-5 records. The team went 7-10 in 2024, though, missing the playoffs as they dealt with a variety of injuries to key players.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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