The Dallas Cowboys have been in contact with University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders about their head coaching vacancy, sources confirmed to Denver7 Sports’ Lionel Bienvenu on Monday.
Those sources indicated there is interest on both sides in regards to the opening.
Earlier Monday, the Cowboys announced their decision to move on from Mike McCarthy after his five-year contract with the team expired.
Sanders played five seasons in Dallas, won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys in 1996 and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the franchise.
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Just how good was Deion Sanders during his playing career?
The level of interest from either side is unclear, and Sanders has been linked to the Cowboys job since long before it was open. He is considered one of several candidates likely to garner interest from the club.
In a statement sent to ESPN Monday night, Sanders apparently said the Cowboys opening is "intriguing" but that he "loves everything there is" about his gig in Boulder.
“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing,” Deion Sanders told ESPN on Monday night. “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,… pic.twitter.com/OMossS9iOx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 14, 2025
Sanders has led a remarkable turnaround at Colorado. A team that went 1-11 the season before his arrival won 4 games in his first year and 10 games this past season, producing the school’s second-ever Heisman Trophy winner and earning an Alamo Bowl berth. He's earned performance bonuses and had a state-of-the-art lounge and office built for him at Folsom Field. The school has seen a spike in applicants since he arrived in Boulder, though CU didn't directly connect it to Coach Prime.
Sanders has said repeatedly amid NFL speculation that he’s content at Colorado and at the collegiate level. In a November, he said he "has a kickstand down" in Boulder.
"That means I'm resting. I'm good, I'm happy, I'm excited," he said. "I'm enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do."
But he’s apparently walked back that stance in recent weeks. He indicated publicly that there is a possibility he’d jump to the NFL if he could coach his sons, Shedeur and Shilo. Then, a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal indicated Sanders had interest in the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching position – though later reports suggest that interest may not be mutual.
The Raiders have the No. 6 pick in the 2025 draft and could conceivably be in position to take either Shedeur Sanders or Travis Hunter with that pick.
Sanders, though, who is on a five-year, $29 million contract with CU, has maintained a close relationship with Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones since his playing days.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and @DeionSanders share a very close and special relationship. It's a given they would discuss the open head coach's job with the #Cowboys. Interest on both sides. We'll see if it goes any further than that. @DenverChannel pic.twitter.com/FhA9rJpK4t
— Lionel Bienvenu (@lionelbienvenu) January 14, 2025
While the two sides haven’t scheduled an interview, they were expected to stay in contact about the job.
While Jones is famous in North Texas and across the NFL world for meddling in the storied franchise’s football operations, he’s also a world-class businessman and marketing genius who knows how to get headlines – and Sanders would certainly do that.
The Cowboys will pick 12th in the upcoming draft – likely too far down the board for the younger Sanders or Hunter – and inked quarterback Dak Prescott to a hefty four-year contract extension on the eve of the 2024 season.
