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Dallas Cowboys fire OC Scott Linehan

By Alex Butler
Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan spent five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. File photo by Brian Kersey/UPI
Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan spent five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. File photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo

Jan. 18 (UPI) -- The Dallas Cowboys have fired offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.

Dallas announced it "mutually agreed to part ways" with Linehan on Friday. Linehan, 55, spent five seasons with the franchise. The former St. Louis Rams head coach joined the Cowboys in 2014 as a passing game coordinator before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2015.

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The Cowboys ranked in the top 10 for rushing offense in each of his four seasons as offensive coordinator. Dallas owned the No. 5 offense in football in 2016 and ranked as the No. 2 rushing offense in 2016 and 2017.

The 2018 Cowboys ranked No. 22 as an offense and had the No. 10 rushing offense behind workhorse Ezekiel Elliott. The two-time Pro Bowl selection ran for a league-high 1,434 yards and six touchdowns on 304 carries. He also led the league with 381 touches.

Elliott has been the NFL's leader in rushing yards per game in each of the last three seasons.

"This was not an easy decision because of how highly we regard Scott Linehan as a football coach and as a person," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement from the team.

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"He and I had some really positive, substantive and open discussions which took place in the latter part of this week, and 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. Scott has had an incredibly positive impact on our football team. He has been instrumental in the development and success of a significant number of our veteran and younger players. He is an outstanding football coach, a great friend and we wish him and his family nothing but the absolute best moving forward."

The Cowboys have yet to announce a corresponding hire. Linehan had previous offensive coordinator experience with the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, as well as at the collegiate level.

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