WATCH: Troy Aikman says the Cowboys job is not ‘a coveted’ one: ‘There’s not a real plan’

Who will be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys?

On Monday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys announced that they’d be parting ways with Mike McCarthy.

While being head coach of ‘Americas Team’ would usually be thought of as a coveted job, former Cowboys quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Troy Aikman isn’t too sure that the opening is as well-thought of as it once was.

“I thought Mike McCarthy was going to be the head coach, so this was a bit of surprise for me, today, that he’s not going to be,” Aikman admitted during ESPN’s coverage of Monday night’s Wild Card game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. “What went into those conversations that [Adam] Schefter talked about, I’m not exactly sure, but it suggests that there’s not a real plan with the fact that they won’t be able to interview Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and some of these others. I think what Schefter said as far as Kellen Moore being a candidate, that seems logical to me, a guy who has familiarity with the building, he’s obviously worked with the Cowboys, with Jerry Jones, and they know each other very well. In fact, when Mike McCarthy got the job, it was told to Mike that Kellen Moore would would be the offensive coordinator, so, that’s how much the Jones family thinks of him (Moore). Beyond that, it’s hard to imagine…as far as a coveted job, I don’t know if that’s accurate. I do think that the Cowboys, obviously re a high-profile team, and whoever is head coach of that team is certainly going to draw a lot of attention, but I think most football people who take over as head coach, they want to do it on their terms, and that’s hard to do. Take Dan Campbell for instance, is Dan Campbell, Dan Campbell if he’s with the Dallas Cowboys? It’s hard to imagine that he is, it’s hard to imagine that a lot of these coaches might be. So, I love the Dallas Cowboys, I played there for 12-years, I wish them well, but to say that it’s a coveted job, I’m not sure that I would necessarily agree with that.”

Aikman isn’t the only former Cowboys legend down on the current state of the team as his former favorite target and fellow NFL Hall of Famer, Michael Irvin believed it was time for the team to have a new voice leading the charge in Dallas.

“You don’t get anything in this profession without earning,” Irvin said. “No one gives you this, so you have to be a good coach to get here, all of them are good coaches. Coaching isn’t the only thing we’re doing here, you have to be relatable, and you have to be able to bring the best out of the guys that you’re coaching. The Xs and Os, drawing up plays and designs…a lot of them can do that but they all can’t pull the greatness out of the players that they are coaching on the Xs and Os, that’s the difference.

“They are not organized or channeled enough or focused enough to turn these guys into great players. What’s wrong with saying we’re going to have curfew, we’re going to do these things, we’re going to tidy up this ship. If you get me a ship tidier that’s then going to use his coaching too…but if I’m going to have somebody that’s going to tighten up this ship, then I may sit down and give you an ear gate to listen to what you have to get out of your mouth. But all that other stuff you’re talking about? Be gone with it. Coaching is more than just coaching, he’s [McCarthy] is a good coach, but we obviously need more than just coaching, you need somebody that’ll reach down and pull up something.”

When it comes to who could be next for the Cowboys, ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes Jerry Jones wasted too much time in figuring out McCarthy’s future as the club won’t be able to interview several high-profile assistant coaches such as Detroit Lions duo, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn as the pair are still coaching in the playoffs and the league’s window for coaching interviews with in-season coaches has concluded.