The 1997 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Football League (NFL) and was the fourth and final season under head coach Barry Switzer. Heavily favored to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXII for the fourth time in the 1990s, the team took a significant step backwards. Switzer resigned at the end of the season, bringing his coaching career to an end. Chan Gailey would be his successor.