Cowboys' Jason Witten Coach Buzz: Top 10 Takes on Jerry Jones' Years of Clues

The Dallas Cowboys are 3-5, Brian Schottenheimer is under fire, and a familiar name is suddenly making its way into the head coaching conversation.

Jason Witten.

The Cowboys legend was just promoted to Oklahoma's interim offensive coordinator, Dez Bryant is openly supporting the idea of bringing him back to Dallas, and other former teammates have spent years praising his leadership.

Some of those hints date back to 2019 ... and they're worth revisiting.

Here are our top 10 takes on the possibility of Witten eventually returning to Dallas as head coach.

Jerry Jones has been talking about Jason Witten as a potential coach for a whole lot longer than most people realize.

During a March 1, 2019, appearance on ESPN's NFL Live, Jones praised Witten's character following his return from retirement. He also compared his longtime tight end to John Wayne, describing the toughness and work ethic that defined his playing career.

Then came the part relevant to the recent discourse. 

"I'd like to think that's what's going to be here in the future, whether that's on the field or coaching," Jones said.

That was seven years ago.

Later that December, Jones identified Witten and Sean Lee as two players he believed had the qualities to coach in the NFL.

And in November 2024, he compared Witten to Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

Jones' affection for Witten, we've always thought, might speed his leap (alongside Tony Romo, Jerry's all-time favorite player) into the team's Ring of Honor.

But that's ceremonial; this sort of move would be foundational.

Jerry hasn't exactly kept his admiration for future Hall-of-Famer Witten - nicknamed in the locker room "Gold-Jacket Witt'' - a secret. So know that the idea of Witten coaching in Dallas didn't just originate this week.

Football has always been a family affair for Witten.

His grandfather, Dave Rider, coached him in high school, while his brothers have continued the family's coaching tradition in Tennessee.

And according to a 2021 D Magazine profile, Witten and his wife Michelle originally envisioned a life where she worked as a nurse and he coached high school football.

That eventually became reality at Liberty Christian, where Witten won consecutive state championships in 2023 and 2024.

His youngest son, Cooper, has since committed to Oklahoma's 2027 recruiting class, giving Witten an opportunity to coach his son again.

Liberty Christian even dedicated its football field to the Witten family in August.

Dallas would offer Witten a different kind of opportunity, but leaving Oklahoma could also mean walking away from another meaningful chapter with his family.

And yet ... back and forth from Frisco to Norman and back seems plenty close. Oh, and to Witten, we bet the Cowboys are "family,'' too.

READ MORE: Trade George Pickens? Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Reveals Master WR Plan

Dez Bryant made his feelings known Wednesday.

"I'm just saying… if anything were to happen in Dallas…Jason Witten should be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. I can see it..and I'd love that," Bryant posted on X.

And he isn't the first former teammate to praise Witten's leadership.

When Witten initially retired in 2018, 12 Cowboys players, including Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, Dak Prescott and Sean Lee, signed an open letter celebrating his influence.

They thanked Witten for setting the standard and being their conscience during difficult times.

But they aren't the only ones ...

Zack Martin may have explained Witten's appeal better than anybody.

"The dude walks the walk at all times. The guy is as old school as it gets with how you work. 'The secret is in the dirt,' - he believed in that and he showed it every day. He's a leader of men," Martin said on TRENCHTOWN with Travis Frederick & Zack Martin.

"The secret is in the dirt'' was Witten's motto in Dallas.

That sounds like something Dallas could use.

The Cowboys have spent years talking about discipline, accountability and establishing a winning culture. Yet eight games into 2026, they've already found five different ways to lose.

Witten's approach was simple. Do the work, know your assignment and hold yourself to the same standards you expect from everyone else.

Oh, and he could be plenty gruff in trying to spread that word to teammates ... which might come handy in what many think is a "country-club atmosphere'' inside The Star.

Of course, NFL coaching requires more than toughness and motivational speeches. But considering how frequently Dallas has beaten itself this season ... Martin's description is difficult to ignore.

Believe it or not, Witten was teaching an NFL locker room long before becoming a coach.

During training camp in 2015, Witten was asked to explain the fourth-and-6 conversion against Detroit that helped Dallas win its playoff game earlier that year.

Witten spent approximately 30 minutes breaking down the route for the Cowboys' entire roster and coaching staff.

Garrett called it the greatest football presentation he'd ever seen.

Witten detailed his footwork, leverage and how he adjusted to different coverages. He also explained the responsibilities of the teammates who helped make the play successful.

This was an established NFL veteran teaching other professionals how to execute at the highest level.

Eleven years later, Witten is preparing to run an entire SEC offense.

That old presentation suddenly feels a little more relevant.

Jerry's comparison between Witten and Dan Campbell has another layer that deserves attention.

The two were Cowboys teammates from 2003 through 2005, and Campbell actually helped mentor Witten during his early years in Dallas.

In 2015, Campbell recalled teaching the young tight end and praised his willingness to learn.

Both also played under Bill Parcells.

Fast-forward to March 2026, and Witten himself identified Campbell and Mike Vrabel as examples of former players who made successful transitions into coaching.

There's a difference in experience, however.

Campbell spent years working through the NFL coaching ranks before becoming Detroit's head coach. Witten has never coached in the league.

Still, Jones' comparison has roots that extend well beyond their shared position.

READ MORE:  Cowboys Trade Of Dak Prescott 'Murmurs' Feature $86 Million Problem

Witten hasn't been sitting around waiting for Jerry to hand him a coaching job.

He revealed that one reason he joined Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 was to get a closer look at how an NFL coaching staff operates.

He wanted to learn.

And after retiring, Witten spent five years coaching high school football rather than immediately chasing a professional job.

He was successful, too, winning two state championships and helping dozens of players earn All-State recognition.

Even more interesting? Witten reportedly turned down an NFL tight ends coaching opportunity before accepting the Oklahoma job.

He had opportunities to advance his career elsewhere. He chose his own path.

One of his dreams, he once intimated to our Mike Fisher, was to coach at his alma mater, Tennessee. But maybe his career is suddenly on a faster track to an even bigger job.

Either easy ...

His history suggests Witten has been considerably more deliberate about his coaching future than the latest Dallas speculation might lead people to believe.

Of everything that happened this week, Oklahoma's decision to promote Witten might be the most revealing.

When Brent Venables fired offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Monday, he entrusted Witten with calling plays for the remainder of the season.

That's noteworthy considering Kevin Wilson is already on Oklahoma's staff.

Wilson, the Sooners' assistant head coach for offense, has more than 40 years of coaching experience, including 16 as an offensive coordinator.

Witten has been a college assistant for less than one season.

Wilson remains involved in the offense, and there's no indication the two competed for the job. But Venables chose to put Witten in charge.

He subsequently praised Witten's communication, leadership and relationships with players.

For all the former teammates endorsing Witten, this might be the most meaningful show of confidence yet.

There's one question Jerry Jones would eventually have to answer if he hired Witten.

Could his former star tight end challenge him when necessary?

In an October 24 column, Garrett recalled Witten confronting him after the coaching staff designed a blocking assignment for Martellus Bennett instead.

Witten insisted he could handle it himself ... and eventually proved it.

Standing up to a coach over a blocking assignment is obviously different from challenging Jerry Jones over personnel decisions.

But Dallas needs someone capable of having those difficult conversations. A close personal relationship shouldn't prevent them.

Oh, by the way: That relationship might help Jones' now much-criticized belief that he needn't pay a head coach top dollar pay off for an owner who is paying Schottenheimer less than $5 million per year - one-third of the going rate for the best-paid (and the best?) coaches.

We'll assume Witten would work within Jerry's boundaries when it came contract-talk time.

For all the excitement surrounding Witten, there's still quite a bit he has to prove.

Oklahoma's tight ends have improved under his direction, producing five receiving touchdowns through eight games after recording just one during the entire 2025 season.

But the Sooners are 4-4, and their offense ranks 111th nationally in total offense.

Now Witten has four games against Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Missouri to show what he can do with the entire offense.

Venables has already indicated that keeping Witten as offensive coordinator beyond this season remains a possibility.

Meanwhile ... Jones has publicly dismissed the idea of firing Schottenheimer during the season.

So there's no immediate opening in Dallas, no confirmed succession plan and no guarantee Witten would even accept the job.

But Jerry has been talking about his coaching potential since at least 2019. His former teammates believe in him. And now Oklahoma is giving him an opportunity to prove himself on a much bigger stage.

Years of hints, endorsements and praise have brought Witten to this point. The rest of the college season - along with the rest of the NFL season - may provide Jerry with more evidence for change than all those years of compliments ever could.