Legendary College Football Coach Named Top Candidate for Cowboys Job

The Georgia Bulldogs are one of the best teams in college football yet again this season, which begs the question of whether legendary head coach Kirby Smart might be ready for a new challenge.

Prominent college coaches have said time and again over the years that there is a pull to the NFL , where they can test themselves in different ways at the pinnacle of the sport.

The last two head coaches to win Super Bowls for the Dallas Cowboys both did so fresh off stints as leading men in the NCAA -- Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer .

Bill Bender of The Sporting News suggested on September 25 that the third time, in this case Smart, might be the charm for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones . He will turn 82 years old later this month and is desperately trying to capture Super Bowl glory one last time.

Georgia is [45-3] since the start of the 2021 season and that program is set up for success in the long term, and [Smart] is making an annual salary of $13 million. Andy Reid , [Sean] Payton , and Sean McVay are the only coaches who make more.

Yet, if you listen to a Smart press conference, you can hear echoes of Jimmy Johnson. Smart has managed the most-talented FBS program at Georgia over the past three seasons, and that has led to two national championships.

Smart wins with the same formula as Johnson -- a mix of defense, running the football and efficient quarterback play. Jones won Super Bowls with Johnson and Barry Switzer. Would he go back to the well [one] last time?

Dallas is 2-2 through four games, struggling to run the ball and to stop opponents from running it, and just lost both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence -- the team's two best pass rushers -- to injury.

Those circumstances put current head coach Mike McCarthy firmly on the hot seat and minus playoff success following this season, there is a better than good chance the Cowboys will be on the hunt for a new leader on the sidelines.