Jerry Jones isn’t buying the idea that a bigger coaching bill automatically leads to better results.
Speaking Tuesday on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan, the Cowboys owner dismissed the criticism aimed at how much the team spends on coaches after Sunday’s overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Jones said there is “zero correlation” between coaching pay and winning, then added, “put that in your hopper and smoke it.”
“There is zero correlation between how much you pay a coach or how many coaches you have as to winning,” Jones said. “There is no correlation. And that’s a random sample of years and all 32 teams involved.”
Jones’ comments came two days after Arizona beat Dallas 33-30 in overtime at AT&T Stadium. The loss dropped the Cowboys to 3-5, the same record as the Cardinals.
Dallas elevated Brian Schottenheimer to head coach in January 2025. Through two seasons, he is 10-14-1 and still has not made the playoffs.
The conversation around Dallas’ coaching spending has picked up because of how other coaches hired in the same 2025 cycle have fared. Liam Coen of the Jacksonville Jaguars is making about $12 million per year, while Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson is earning roughly $13 million annually, according to published reports. Both teams reached the playoffs last season.
There’s also the comparison to Mike McCarthy, who departed Dallas after the 2024 season when the sides couldn’t agree on a new contract. He is 6-2 in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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