The phrase opposites attract has commonly been used in reference to the dating world, but it also applies to NFL head coaching searches. Over the years, there has been a track record of NFL teams targeting head coaching candidates with a background opposite to that of who they fired.

This will be the ninth head coach for Jones since he purchased the team in 1989 and fired the legendary Tom Landry, who coached the Cowboys for 29 years since the team's inception. Jones hired Jimmy Johnson away from Miami and they won a pair of Super Bowls together.