The Dallas Cowboys coaching staff is stuck in a state of limbo right now. All ranks of the staff worked on expiring deals in 2024, and all ranks will be free and clear to negotiate with other teams once the Cowboys’ exclusive negotiating window expires on January 14.
At the head coach position, Dallas has sent mixed signals for weeks now. One moment they’re said to be negotiating, the next moment it seems they’re purposely deadlocked just waiting for the situation to organically resolve itself. Regardless of how the situation at the top shakes out, one thing is clear, Al Harris deserves a look as a defensive coordinator.
Harris, a Cowboys assistant coach since 2020, is a rising star in the NFL. The former Pro Bowl cornerback made his coaching breakthrough 13 years ago as an intern with the Dolphins. Since then, he’s served as an assistant with the Chiefs, Florida Atlantic in CFB, and the Cowboys. Working under Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer in Dallas, Harris has thrived under different schemes and coaching styles. He’s produced two All-Pro CBs with the Cowboys and risen to the rank of assistant head coach.
It’s safe to say when the negotiating window expires on Tuesday, Harris will be one of the Cowboys’ most sought-after coaches. His ability to communicate, develop and motivate make him a legitimate defensive coordinator candidate in 2025, a position the Cowboys would likely need to offer the 50-year-old secondary specialist if they want to keep him in Dallas.
Complicating matters is the unresolved situation at head coach. Any head coaching candidate worth his salt is going to want to build his own staff. Forcing him to take on Harris at defensive coordinator would be a tough pill to swallow even if that head coach held Harris in high regard. Locking down a coordinator before a coach isn’t unheard of for Jerry Jones (see the arranged marriage of Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy) but it is potentially problematic (also the arranged marriage of Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy).
Ideally the Cowboys make a head coaching decision before their negotiating window closes, because the moment that window expires, Harris’ phone is going to ring and probably ring a lot. Up and coming coaches carry risk but they also bring reward. As a first-time coordinator Harris would likely come at an affordable price and his knowledge of the Cowboys roster and team culture should make him a particularly attractive option for the Dallas front office.
Like Harris, Zimmer has also earned a chance to return in 2025. Zimmer started to make headway in Dallas’ longstanding discipline and accountability department and appears to be on the cusp of building something special. But unlike Harris, Zimmer is nearing the end of his coaching career and has indicated he may not want to return to the sideline in 2025.
What the Cowboys cannot afford to do is allow their rising star coach to leave without expressing their interest in retaining him in some capacity. The NFL is a talent acquisition business and that extends beyond just simple roster building but also in the coaching ranks.
