FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys officially announced Kellen Moore will be promoted to offensive coordinator to replace Scott Linehan, and the team named Jon Kitna as Dak Prescott’s new quarterbacks coach to replace Moore.
Under Moore’s leadership in 2018 as a first-year coach, Prescott established career-highs in passing yards (3,885), attempts (526), and completions (356). He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second time in three years and helped lead Dallas to winning the NFC East Divisional Crown concluding the regular season.
Moore played for Boise State in college from 2008-2011, finishing his career with a 50-3 record- the most wins by a quarterback in NCAA history. He helped the team achieve four consecutive 12-win seasons. Moore played in the NFL for six years, originally signing with the Detroit Lions as a free agent following the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent three years with the Lions before coming to Dallas in 2015. He played in his first three games in 2015 and in 2016 he broke his leg in training camp. He worked closely with Prescott throughout the 2016 season from the sidelines, as Dak led the team to a 13-3 record. Kellen made the transition from player to coach at the outset of the 2018 season in Dallas.
Moore will assume the full responsibility of play-caller in 2019. Dallas desperately needs someone to benefit Dak Prescott’s strength as a run threat by incorporating play-action and run-pass-option plays. Who understands that necessity more than Moore? He spent the last season as Dak’s mentor and knows his style of play in and out. Hopefully he will bring more aggression and creativity to the play calling in 2019 on first, third, and fourth downs.
Kitna had a 15-year NFL career from 1997-2011, originally signing with the Seattle Seahawks as a rookie free agent following the 1996 NFL Draft. He moved to the Barcelona Dragons of the European Football League in 1997, and led the team to a World Bowl Championship. He then went back to the Seahawks (1997-2000) before allocating to several teams around the league, Cincinnati (2001-2005), Detroit (2006-2008), and Dallas (2009-2011). Throughout his time at QB in the NFL, he learned from Warren Moon with the Seahawks and Tony Romo in Dallas.
Following his career in the NFL, Kitna took up coaching, first at his Alma mater-Lincoln High School, and then he taught at a couple others. In 2018 he was bumped to offensive coordinator for the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football. Now he re-enters the NFL as a quarterback’s coach in 2019 for the Dallas Cowboys. He assisted the coaching staff at the Pro Bowl last week and acquainted himself with the other coaches and with Dak. The Cowboys enter a new offensive reign with two former franchise quarterbacks leading the way!
