Scott Linehan has been let go as the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator.
Dallas coach Jason Garrett announced the change Friday afternoon, saying in a statement that “we ultimately agreed that it would be in the best interest of all of the parties involved if we were to make a change at this position.”
“This was very much a mutual decision, and there was a great deal of common ground and shared understanding between both of us during our meetings,” Garrett said in the statement. “Scott has had an incredibly positive impact on our football team.”
The dismissal came on the heels of the Cowboys’ season-ending 30-22 playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week.
Some have blamed Linehan for the team’s lack of explosiveness in its offense and the lack of development of quarterback Dak Prescott over his three seasons as starter.
The Cowboys have regressed in the NFL rankings in points and total yards each of the last three seasons, finishing 22nd in the league in 22nd in scoring and 22nd in total yards in 2018.
Linehan, 55, came to Dallas in January of 2014 as the team’s passing game coordinator. Then offensive coordinator and primary play caller Bill Callahan remained on the staff, but relinquished his play-calling duties that season as the team’s running game coordinator. Linehan was named as the team’s primary play-caller after Callahan left after the 2014 season.
Garrett and Linehan first worked together as assistants on Nick Saban’s Miami Dolphins’ team in 2005. Linehan was the offensive coordinator on that staff.
Linehan was hired the following season as the head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2006. He was fired after four games in the 2008 season with an NFL career head-coaching record of 11-25.
