The Dallas Cowboys recently secured an NFC East victory over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football, but without significant playoff progress this season, head coach Mike McCarthy’s future is in jeopardy.
A loss this week, which would have dropped the Cowboys to 1-3, could have been enough to push McCarthy out mid-season. With changes looming, speculation about his potential replacement has already begun among national sports commentators.
On September 25, Bill Bender from The Sporting News suggested USC head coach as a possible candidate for the Cowboys’ job.
Riley, 41, frequently appears in NFL coaching discussions due to his success at Oklahoma and USC, particularly with quarterbacks. He coached four current NFL starters—Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Caleb Williams. Hurts led his team to a Super Bowl, and both Mayfield and Murray rank in the top 10 in passer rating this year. Williams still has room to develop in Chicago.
Riley, a Texas native, could be the coach to maximize Dak Prescott’s potential, and a move back to his home state makes sense.
However, Riley has been criticized for poor defensive performance, most recently in a close loss to Michigan, where USC allowed 290 rushing yards. While this weakness has been evident during his tenure, the NFL offers a different environment. With a top-tier defensive coordinator handling play-calling and some personnel decisions, Riley could focus on building a dynamic offense around Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
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