FRISCO, Texas – Shortly after the Cowboys announced that offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and the club are mutually parting ways, Linehan made this official statement:
"As (head coach) Jason (Garrett) expressed, we met on Wednesday and had a good, direct talk. At the end, we resolved that a fresh start was probably best for both of us.
"The Dallas Cowboys have been nothing but great to me, first class all the way. There's a reason that they are the most valuable sports franchise on the planet. And I'll always respect Jason as a coach and I consider him a good friend. I'll miss my fellow coaches and my players a great deal. But life is about change and growth, and I very much look forward to my next challenge."
Linehan served as the Cowboys' primary play-caller for the last five seasons, including quarterback Dak Prescott's outstanding rookie season in 2016. After a slow start in 2018 – the offense ranked 28th in total yardage and 26th in scoring through the first seven games – the production picked up following the bye-week trade for Amari Cooper.
But clearly both sides decided it was time for a new direction.
Garrett issued this official statement earlier Friday:
"This was not an easy decision because of how highly we regard Scott Linehan as a football coach and as a person. He and I had some really positive, substantive and open discussions which took place in the latter part of this week, and we ultimately agreed that it would be in the best interest of all of the parties involved if we were to make a change at this (offensive coordinator) position. This was very much a mutual decision, and there was a great deal of common ground and shared understanding between both of us during our meetings. Scott has had an incredibly positive impact on our football team. He has been instrumental in the development and success of a significant number of our veteran and younger players. He is an outstanding football coach, a great friend and we wish him and his family nothing but the absolute best moving forward."
