Overview
- On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Jones told Dallas radio that there is “zero correlation” between how much a team pays coaches and winning, comments that were widely reported and replayed across local and national outlets.
- The remarks came as the Cowboys sit 3-5 under second-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, whose reported salary of roughly $4.5 million places him well below several recently hired coaches who have shown quick success.
- Analysts and national outlets disputed Jones’s claim, pointing to examples such as Ben Johnson in Chicago and Liam Coen in Jacksonville where higher-paid hires produced rapid team improvements.
- Fans reacted angrily online, and coverage tied Jones’s stance to his long-running dual role as owner and de facto general manager and to a pattern of hiring lower-cost or ‘creative’ candidates to preserve control.
- The comments matter because coaching pay does not count against the NFL salary cap, so an owner’s willingness to spend on a proven coach can be decisive, and Jones’s position reduces the likelihood Dallas will pursue top-dollar coaching upgrades even as it considers roster moves before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.