Who will be the next Dallas Cowboys head coach? 5 likeliest candidates as we enter the second week of Jerry Jones' search

The Dallas Cowboys are entering their second week of searching for a head coach after moving on from Mike McCarthy last week. 

As of Monday morning, three interviews have been requested by the Jones family but there are names expected to be added to their list of candidates as they take it slow with their search.

After a week's worth of updates, below are the five candidates I consider the likeliest to wind up in the shoes once occupied by Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells, Jason Garrett, and McCarthy, among others. 

Moore remains my prediction to be the next Cowboys head coach and it's easy to make the case: He's a face the Joneses know very well and vice versa. They made it obvious they respect him by telling McCarthy he'd stay on board as offensive coordinator if the former Super Bowl winning coach took the job in 2020. 

Additionally, $240 million quarterback Dak Prescott likes Moore and understands his scheme. Together, they led one of the NFL's best offenses between 2019 and 2022. Despite criticism from the fan base, which is understandable given the Cowboys' playoff shortcomings, Moore is still seen by the NFL world as a future head coach. 

The Cowboys interviewed Moore virtually last week but once he's made available, an in-person meeting would resemble a longtime reunion more than it would a first date.

Early in the process, I would've never put Sanders as a "likely head coach" candidate but multiple reports have made it clear both Jerry and Deion are interested in making it happen. There are still significant hurdles that make me doubt this is the direction they take things in, mostly a $10 million buyout the Cowboys would be forced to pay due to Sanders' contract in Colorado. 

Additionally, this feels like a candidate Jerry would love but he needs to sell the rest of the organization, including his son, Stephen, on it. 

Saleh is one of three interviews so far for the Cowboys and given his previous head coaching experience, I expect him to be high on Dallas' list just based on that. Additionally, no one has to tell the front office how tough Saleh's defenses are as they experienced it first hand when they played his 49ers units in the past. 

Saleh got the short end of the stick during his tenure with the Jets but his circumstances were far from ideal. The Cowboys will keep that in mind as they consider him to become HC. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he "wouldn't be surprised if they ended up putting in a request in speaking to Kliff Kingsbury whenever he's made eligible." 

Kingsbury's offense in Washington has turned heads all season and a trip to the NFC Championship Game, the first for the Commanders since 1991, is likely to entice Jones. 

Kingsbury is expected to take it slow as he's still being paid his 2022 contract by the Arizona Cardinals through 2027 but his stock is sky-high.