The Dallas Cowboys are currently led by head coach Mike McCarthy, but one veteran observer suggested the team views a former Dallas icon as having head coaching potential. Former two-time All-Pro tight end Jason Witten has already made waves in his coaching career, and it’s catching owner Jerry Jones’ attention.
Citing a Dallas Morning News story in which Jones said he saw similarities between Coach of the Year favorite Dan Campbell and Witten, ESPN’s Ed Werder posted on X on December 27: “The Jerry Jones quote at the end of this piece suggests to me that he has @JasonWitten on his mind as a eventual Cowboys head coach.”
In a story about the success of coaches coming from the “Bill Parcells coaching tree,” the Morning News’ Calvin Watkins quoted Jones as saying, “I actually thought the type of thing that we see in Dan is so football-appropriate for the game. Every time that I look at him, I see Jason Witten, really.”
If anyone can translate “Jerry-speak,” it would be Werder, a longtime ESPN reporter who also covered the Cowboys for the Morning News in the 1990s.
Jason Witten Winning Titles in Texas
After officially retiring as a Cowboy in 2021, Witten has taken the role of coach. In 2021, the former Dallas tight end was hired as the head coach of Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas.
It has been an opportunity for Witten to spend time with his two sons, who attend the school and made the varsity team starting in 2023. After his first season ended with just two wins, Witten turned the team into a playoff contender to a champion.
The Wittens and the Warriors went undefeated this past season, racking up 14 wins and hoisting the TAPPS Division II title. It marked the first championship for the school since 2007.
Under the former Cowboy’s guidance, they not only won a trophy but they also dominated. The combined score of their first three playoff games was 150-24. Liberty then beat Regents (from Austin) 52-10 to put an exclamation point on their season.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Speaks on Officiating
As Dallas looks to rebound from back-to-back losses in Weeks 15 and 16, Jones spoke his mind on NFL referees. The lack of penalties on opposing offensive lineman has been a major talking point, specifically those who are handling pass rusher Micah Parsons.
Jones did not make the outright claim that officiating was stacked against Parsons, but he said he did think it was “restricting” the third-year star.
“I don’t think the intent is to take a player of his skill and limit him,” Jones said on December 26 to 105.3 The Fan. “He gets officiated, not differently, but most players that don’t get those holds … Micah doesn’t get them. [Other players can’t] get to the quarterback. Micah can; therefore, it is restricting to him.”
Parsons has not drawn a flag from an opposing offensive lineman since mid-October, according to a story by Heavy Sports’ Matt Lombardo. Considering he has 13 sacks in 15 games, it’s hard to see how Parsons doesn’t have a point.
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Cowboys Insider: Jerry Jones Views 2-Time All-Pro as Potential Head Coach