FRISCO, Texas – While one of the coordinators is definitely returning to the Cowboys next season, another one is still uncertain about his future.
Yes, Dan Quinn is coming back to run the defense in 2023 as he informed other teams that he's interviewed with about head coaching vacancies.
But, what about Kellen Moore, who has interviewed this week with the Carolina Panthers, who have hired Frank Reich instead to be their head coach.
Moore's future with the Cowboys remains unclear especially after head coach Mike McCarthy's press conference on Thursday afternoon, which occurred after the Panthers' decision not to make Moore their next head coach.
But when asked about Moore returning, McCarthy didn't give much clarity, stating that he's only briefly talked with his current offensive coordinator.
"I think clearly … I just saw Kellen briefly," McCarthy said. "My evaluation process is still going on. We'll continue to talk. I'll hope to get together with Kellen as early as (Friday)."
When pressed by the media if Moore is returning if he doesn't get a head coaching job, McCarthy didn't provide a lot of transparency.
"I don't want to play this game today. It's been a long couple of days. Kellen Moore, just like the rest of the coaches, will be evaluated," McCarthy said. "We'll continue to work through this. We had a very difficult day yesterday. We're in Day 2 of the coaching evaluation."
During the press conference, McCarthy made more on than one reference how emotional some of his decisions were to make, including the dismissal of assistant head coach Rob Davis, whose contract was not renewed. The Cowboys chose not to bring back six assistant coaches this week, including offensive line coach Joe Philbin, running backs coach Skip Peete, senior defensive assistant George Edwards and assistant defensive line coach and former player Leon Lett.
"Yesterday was not a good day in terms of personal relationships, but it's part of our business," McCarthy said on Thursday. "This is part of how we move forward, but it's tough."
