Rank'Em
Rank’Em: Head coaches in Cowboys history
Here are the ten men who have held the title of head coach in the Dallas Cowboys' 66-season history.
Brian Schottenheimer • Dallas Cowboys (Current) • 0-0 (.000)
Obviously no wins for Schottenheimer yet with Dallas as he'll take the reins for the first time in 2025. The tenth head coach in team history, he's basically an NFL lifer who spent the last three seasons working with Mike McCarthy to game-plan the Cowboys offense. He's got experience and, of course, lineage.
Dave Campo • Dallas Cowboys (2000-02) • 15-33 (.313)
Campo has by far the worst record as a head coach in Cowboys history, but it comes with a caveat – he was never really given a legitimate chance. The fifth bench boss in franchise annals, he took over an aging team that was also in cap hell. There was only so much he could do.
Chan Gailey • Dallas Cowboys (1998-99) • 18-16 (.529)
Similar to Campo, Gailey was in a fight to keep the good times rolling as age and free-agency departures had weakened the Cowboys dynasty of the 1990s. Still, as the club's fourth head coach, he managed to get the team to the playoffs in both years he was at the helm.
Bill Parcells • Dallas Cowboys (2003-06) • 34-32 (.515)
Hired to rebuild the Cowboys after three straight 5-11 campaigns, Parcells was able to do just that with his no-nonsense approach. The sixth head coach in franchise history, he led Dallas to the playoffs twice before suddenly retiring after his fourth season. Still, Dallas was definitely set up for a brighter future.
Wade Phillips • Dallas Cowboys (2007-10) • 35-24 (.593)
Phillips picked up where Parcells left off by taking over as the seventh head coach in franchise history and immediately leading the Cowboys to 13 victories in 2007. But three straight winning records in the regular season didn't lead to playoff success, and after getting off to a 1-7 start in 2010, Phillips was let go, the only head coach to be released by the team midseason.
Barry Switzer • Dallas Cowboys (1994-97) • 45-26 (.634)
A surprise hire after Jimmy Johnson's surprise departure, Switzer's stated goal was basically to just keep the Cowboys' train steaming down the dynasty tracks. And as the franchise's third head coach, he largely did, guiding the team to three consecutive playoff appearances, which included winning Super Bowl XXX, the club's third title in four years.
Mike McCarthy • Head Coach, 2020-24 • 50-38 (.568)
McCarthy won a Super Bowl in AT&T Stadium, although it came in 2010 while he was serving as head coach of the Packers. As the ninth sideline leader in Cowboys history, he hoped to repeat that success, but despite posting three consecutive 12-5 records in the regular season, he went only 1-3 in the playoffs.
Jimmy Johnson • Head Coach, 1989-93 • 51-37 (.580)
When Johnson took over for the legendary Tom Landry as the second head coach in Cowboys history, he was tasked with rebuilding a struggling franchise. Needless to say, mission accomplished. By his fourth season, Johnson had established the Cowboys as an NFL powerhouse, winning back-to-back Lombardi Trophies in 1992 and 1993.
Jason Garrett • Head Coach, 2010-19 • 87-70 (.554)
The eighth head coach for the Cowboys, Garrett owns the second-longest tenure in club history, having taken over midway through the 2010 season and then going on to lead the team for nine more years. Unfortunately, like the previous three coaches before him, Garrett wasn't able to find success in the playoffs, posting just a 2-3 postseason record.
Tom Landry • Head Coach, 1960-88 • 270-178-6 (.601)
One of the greatest leaders the game has ever known, Landry was the franchise's original head coach when Dallas came into the league in 1960 and held the position for 29 seasons. Owning the fifth-most wins in NFL history, he led the Cowboys to five Super Bowls during the 1970s, winning two. Landry is enshrined in both the team's Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
