Ex-Seahawks Coach the Favorite to Land Cowboys Job & It’s Not Pete Carroll

A former Seattle Seahawks coach could take the head coaching job with the Dallas Cowboys, but it may not be the person you are expecting. Former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has been a name floated in NFL rumors for several vacancies, but there does not seem to be much traction with the Dallas job.

Instead, former Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is the betting favorite to be the Cowboys next head coach. Dallas is in search of a new head coach after opting not to re-sign Mike McCarthy this offseason.

FanDuel has Schottenheimer as a sizable favorite at -160 to be hired by the Cowboys as the franchise’s new head coach. Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is next in line at +195. Another former Seattle assistant Robert Saleh sits in third at +470 in the betting odds.

Schottenheimer was part of Carroll’s staff from 2018 to 2020 as the Seahawks offensive coordinator. The veteran coach has been with the Cowboys dating back to 2022 and served as the Dallas offensive coordinator for the last two seasons.

Ex-Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer Has Had 2 Interviews With the Cowboys for the Team’s Head Coaching Job

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Schottenheimer had back-to-back interviews with the Cowboys. Several of Dallas’ interviews have had previous ties to the Cowboys franchise. Some Cowboys fans are frustrated by the coaches being linked to the vacancy, including Schottenheimer.

“The Cowboys are planning to have a second interview with their own OC Brian Schottenheimer today, per me, @TomPelissero and @SlaterNFL,” Rapoport detailed in a January 22, 2025, message on X. “After spending nearly four hours with Schottenheimer yesterday, Dallas brass sits down with him again.”

Pete Carroll Is Among the Favorites to Be the Raiders’ Next Head Coach

As for Carroll, the former NFL head coach interviewed with the Chicago Bears, but the franchise opted to hire former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Carroll has also been linked to the Las Vegas Raiders vacancy. The Athletic’s Tashan Reed reported that Carroll was the Raiders’ “backup option” if the Johnson opted for another gig, which ultimately happened.

“Carroll, who also interviewed with the Bears, is believed to be the Raiders’ backup option at head coach, according to league sources,” Reed wrote in a January 19, story titled, “Raiders next regime hiring could be accelerated after Lions’ early playoff exit.”

“… The Raiders hired Jed Hughes from search firm Korn Ferry to help coordinate their GM and head coach searches. Hughes helped place Carroll with the Seahawks in 2010, so there’s plenty of familiarity there,” Reed added.

“Carroll will turn 74 next season and would be the oldest head coach in NFL history if he returns to the sidelines, but the Super Bowl XLVIII champion has a strong resume and could still have something left in the tank.”

The Seahawks also have their own search going for a new offensive coordinator under head coach Mike Macdonald. If Carroll does not land the Raiders job, it will be worth watching to see if the coach is forced to wait for next offseason’s NFL coaching carousel to return to the sideline.