The Dallas Cowboys' coaching search is officially a week old and still only a handful of candidates have been linked with the vacancy.
They so far have interviewed Kellen Moore and Robert Saleh, while Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier is set to interview Monday. The Cowboys' interest in Deion Sanders is well-documented at this juncture, but no interview with the Hall of Fame defensive back has been set and it remains to be seen if he will even interview.
A major domino following Mike McCarthy's departure is how many members of his staff, if any, will return next season.
Many Cowboys fans want Mike Zimmer back. Zimmer reportedly would accept the head coaching job but he's undecided about returning as defensive coordinator.
In a perfect world, whomever is hired will have license to assemble their own staff. That will allow for the smoothest transition, but it could mean bad news for Zimmer and defensive backs coach Al Harris. In fact, the latest rumblings out of Dallas do not bode well for Harris.
It doesn't sound like Cowboys' DBs coach Al Harris will return in 2025
According to Shan Shariff of 105.3 The Fan, it is currently "unlikely" that Harris will be back next season.
That is the last thing Cowboys fans want to hear. Harris was comfortably the most beloved member of McCarthy's staff, and for good reason.
A former two-time Pro Bowler at cornerback, Harris is recognized as a rising star among defensive assistants. Dan Quinn sought to bring him to Washington last offseason as his DBs coach, but Dallas was allowed to block the request since it would have been a lateral move. The team swiftly promoted Harris to assistant head coach to commemorate his superb work with the secondary.
Harris' teachings have helped mold Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland into bonafide stars at the cornerback position. Safeties Donovan Wilson, Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse have played some of the best football of their careers under Harris' tutelage.
We have also seen young players like Markquese Bell, Juanyeh Thomas and Josh Butler make strides in their respective developments.
It would be a mistake to let Harris out the door, but that is part of the problem with dismissing McCarthy. For the Cowboys to get where they want to go, the new coach deserves to assemble their own staff.
As great as Harris is, it would be messy for the new HC to inherit a member of McCarthy's staff. The new staff needs alignment from top to bottom and Harris unfortunately might be collateral damage.
