Dallas Cowboys again forced to pay the price of allowing coaches to reach free agency with latest loss
Based on multiple reports, the Dallas Cowboys were hoping to bring back Mike McCarthy as head coach in 2025 but failed to agree on contract length. Now, the front office is losing another coach it wished to had back on the staff. Cowboys special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel is signing with the Tennessee Titans for […]
Based on multiple reports, the Dallas Cowboys were hoping to bring back Mike McCarthy as head coach in 2025 but failed to agree on contract length. Now, the front office is losing another coach it wished to had back on the staff.
Cowboys special teams coordinator John "Bones" Fassel is signing with the Tennessee Titans for the same role, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Todd Archer from ESPN reported the Cowboys "had hoped to keep Fassel, who helped find KaVontae Turpin, Brandon Aubrey and ran a solid group."
The problem, of course, was that the Cowboys refused to extend McCarthy and assistant coaches, making them free agents at the end of the season. In other words, Fassel had complete freedom over where he was going to next and now he escapes Dallas, where job security is far from a guarantee.
Instead, he joins forces with second-year head coach Brian Callahan in Nashville.
Fassel had his ups and downs in Dallas but made a stamp with his personnel decisions. He was a fan of Turpin when he went pro and once he became available after an MVP season in the USFL, he didn't hesitate to get the Cowboys to sign him. Turpin went on to become a two-time Pro Bowler in three years and was named first-team All-Pro in 2024.
Additionally, the Cowboys signed Brandon Aubrey during his tenure as special teams coordinator and saw him become one of the NFL's finest kickers. Aubrey was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and made the second-team in this season.
Though fans won't miss the trick punts all that much after an unsuccessful run at them in 2024, his units were consistently good throughout his run in Dallas. Now the Cowboys will have to find for their next special teams coordinator or allow their future head coach to anoint him.
