Report: Cowboys have 'very real interest' in Urban Meyer, view Lincoln Riley as possibility
Jason Garrett’s time with the Dallas Cowboys continues to run out after that embarrassing “Thursday Night Football” loss to the Chicago Bears.
That the Cowboys could still make the playoffs out of a dismal NFC East is no solace for fans.
The calls to can Garrett as coach are coming more fervently now, despite owner Jerry Jones insisting he won’t fire the guy during the season. If and when it does happen, there are big names ready to step in.
Report: Cowboys interested in Meyer
According to NFL Network’s Jane Slater, the Cowboys have a “very real interest” in former Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer.
They’re also interested in Lincoln Riley, the current coach at Oklahoma, and Tony Elliott, a co-offensive coordinator at Clemson. Riley is 35-5 in three years with the Sooners. Riley and Oklahoma attempted to recruit Jones’ grandson, John Stephen Jones, as a walk-on, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The quarterback plays for Arkansas.
Slater reports that the Cowboys executive vice president and CEO Stephen Jones has spoken with Meyer recently, presumably about the position.
Jerry Jones says Jason Garrett will remain the coach but I can confirm a very real interest in Urban Meyer. In fact, I'm told Stephen Jones spoke with him recently. Lincoln Riley remains a strong candidate & file this name as a possibility Clemson OC Tony Elliott per sources.
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) December 6, 2019
Meyer is taking the year off from coaching, announcing a year ago he was stepping away from Ohio State for health reasons and was done with coaching. He had said so previously when leaving Florida.
The Buckeyes had a 2018 season under Meyer that was stained by the enabling of assistant coach Zach Smith, who faced domestic abuse allegations by his wife in 2015. He was previously arrested for assaulting her in 2009, while both coaches were with Florida.
During an October appearance on Colin Cowherd’s radio show, Meyer addressed the possibility that Riley would take the Cowboys job and turned it into a declaration that he would “absolutely” take it.
“Sure,” Meyer said to Cowherd. “Absolutely. Absolutely. That one? Yes.”
Meyer also called it “the one job in professional football that you say, ‘I got to go do that.’ ” The former Ohio State and Florida coach is 187-32 over his 17-year coaching career and has a 12-3 in bowl games with three national championship titles.
Jones said in 2017 “there aren’t too many things I wouldn’t do financially to win another Super Bowl,” writes Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson. Offering a big contract to the coach you want would be a first step.
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