The Dallas Cowboys have hired their new head coach, teaming up with longtime Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy. And he’s moving quickly to build a staff. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that New Orleans Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan is someone being considered for a role in McCarthy’s organization.
And this story has legs. Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reported that Nolan’s connections to the Cowboys run deep — his father Dick Nolan worked with legendary Cowboys coaches Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson, and the Nolan family still has roots in Dallas to this day.
Still, Gehlken added that nothing has happened yet. Nolan is busy conducting exit interviews with his players on Monday, and won’t entertain offers or interview with other teams until that is all wrapped up. But it wouldn’t be a shock to see him leave for a larger role with a new staff.
The Saints only picked up Nolan in the first place after he took a year off of coaching to try his hand in the media, making on-air appearances with NFL Network back in 2016. Before that, he served as defensive coordinator for several different teams, and even has head coach experience (with the San Francisco 49ers from 2005 to 2008). He’s been a valuable addition to New Orleans, helping scout and develop talent at a position that was lacking it for all too long. The Saints do not have an assistant linebackers coach on staff right now, so it’s unclear who would replace Nolan if he left.
