Michael Irvin Is Very Mad The Cowboys Didn't Hire Deion Sanders: ‘Lost An Opportunity’
Deion Sanders will not be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. And Michael Irvin believes that's a big mistake.
The Cowboys announced on Friday that offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer would replace former head coach Mike McCarthy. Irvin, the greatest wide receiver in the franchise's history, took to his YouTube channel on Saturday to sound off on the decision.
"Here's my issue: We lost an opportunity here," Irvin said. "I don't know what will happen with Coach Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys, but Jerry's a shrewd, shrewd businessman, and this opportunity, I'm shocked he did not see.
"I was pushing for Deion Sanders to be the next head coach, and I still stand 10 toes down on that push."
In his second season as the head coach at Colorado, Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record this fall — not bad for a program that went 1-11 in 2022. But with Shedeur and Shilo Sanders now entering the NFL Draft, rumors have swirled that Coach Prime might follow his sons to the pros.
During his playing days, Deion spent five seasons with the Cowboys from 1995-1999 and won a Super Bowl with the team. Given that history, there was a push from some Dallas fans for owner Jerry Jones to hire Sanders to fill the vacant coaching position.
Instead, though, he went with Schottenheimer, who spent the past two seasons as the Cowboys' OC but has no head coaching experience.
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Michael Irvin Says Deion Sanders Would Have Restored Order In Dallas
"You're bringing in someone that was already inside as the head coach. You lose things there, that you can't grab back," Irvin said of Schottenheimer.
"They don't have curfew. They don't have discipline. They were fourth in penalties issued. So, how do you fix that? You go and be more disciplined, or be more of a disciplinarian. How do you do that when you're coming from the inside?"
READ: Dallas Cowboys Hire Known Unknown Brian Schottenheimer Who Brings Continuity
Ultimately, Irvin's argument was that you can't hire from within and expect major changes.
"That's why hiring Deion was the right call," Irvin concluded. "The Raiders hired Pete Carroll, he had some experience. Last time, when we did Mike McCarthy, he had some experience. I got to slap myself, and say, 'Give it a chance, man, at least they walked the walk already.'
"Brian hadn't walked no walk. So what does he got over Deion?"
Deion Sanders resurrected a dead Colorado Buffaloes football program.
(Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
But whether Irvin likes it or not, the hire has been made. The Hall of Fame wide receiver is worried, though, that Dallas is losing its grip on the nickname "America's Team."
"A third of Cowboys nation has never felt or lived the glory of a championship story. Don't even know about it... a generation that knows nothing about a championship from the so-called America's Team," Irvin said. "And worse yet, that generation has seen total domination from a team named the Kansas City Chiefs.
"So, not only are you losing football games over here, and opportunities over here, even divisions over here, you're about to get our moniker snatched off our backs."
Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders spent five seasons together as teammates on the Dallas Cowboys.
(Paul Moseley/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The Cowboys currently have the longest NFC Championship drought — 30 years — of any team. The last time 'Dem Boys played in a conference championship game was 1995 …when both Irvin and Sanders donned the lone star helmets.
No pressure though, Brian Schottenheimer.