OC Kellen Moore agrees to an extension. Will he be Dallas Cowboys’ next head coach?
Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore officially pulled himself out of the running for the Boise State job.
Now the question is what’s his future with the Cowboys after he agreed to a three-year extension to remain the team’s offensive coordinator and play caller.
Moore’s new deal runs through 2023 with head coach Mike McCarthy’s deal expiring in 2024.
For the Cowboys to get the 32-year-old Moore to turn down his alma mater after Bryan Harsin took the Auburn job, they must have something bigger and better in mind for him.
There is no question that owner Jerry Jones is fond of him and he clearly likes his position in Dallas.
Moore was the winningest quarterback in college football history when he left Boise State in 2011 with a 50-3 record.
“I will always root for them, and I hope one day to be a part of the program again,” Moore said in a statement issued by the team. “We are building something special here in Dallas. I am excited for us to put it all together and finish the job.”
Finishing the job is something that will not be part of this season. Given the Cowboys’ 23-19 loss to the Giants on Sunday, the team now shifts to the 2021 season.
Although, the fact that they were even playing for a playoff spot in Week 17 is a credit to the work Moore did in 2020.
Moore, in just second season as coordinator and third as a coach, had to direct an offense using four different quarterbacks, including three in three straight weeks, while dealing with the losses of the team’s three best offensive lineman for bulk of the season.
Dallas had lost six of their first seven games without injured starter Dak Prescott, but Moore and backup quarterback Andy Dalton established some chemistry that led to three straight wins and the brink of a playoff berth before Sunday’s loss.
McCarthy made keeping Moore a priority when he was hired as head coach last year largely because of his relationship with Prescott. Now, the Cowboys will have Moore and Prescott back in 2021 to hopefully pick up where they left off.
The Cowboys finished with the league’s top-ranked offense in Moore’s first season as coordinator in 2019. And they were on their way to duplicating that feat in 2020. Prescott was leading the league in passing and became the first player in NFL history with three straight games of 450 yards or more before the injury.
“We all want to build off what we were able to put in place and continue to grow offensively,” McCarthy said of the Moore extension. “I think it’s great to have him back and have him on a three-year deal. It’s all about improving and growing.
“Like I said from Day 1, I clearly understand the opportunity that was in front of him and how special it was for him and his family at Boise State. But he wants to be here and we’re glad to have him and continue to build.”
And the Cowboys did not want to lose him.
Moore wants to be head coach. He turned down an opportunity to do it at Boise State.
So it begs the question, is something bigger and better part of his future in Dallas?
This story was originally published January 3, 2021, 10:31 AM.
