Mike McCarthy won’t return as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who’re occurring three many years since their final Tremendous Bowl title, proprietor Jerry Jones stated on Monday as an intriguing candidate emerged to fill the emptiness.
Jones stated the group and McCarthy mutually agreed to half methods. A seek for the workforce’s subsequent coach begins instantly, he stated.
“I’ve nice respect for Mike, and he has led the workforce by some very distinctive and difficult instances throughout his tenure,” Jones stated in an announcement.
McCarthy’s contract expired on 8 January after a 7-10 season. Dallas had been 12-5 in every of the three years earlier than that, however nonetheless haven’t been previous the divisional spherical of the NFC playoffs for the reason that workforce’s final Tremendous Bowl on the finish of the 1995 season.
College of Colorado coach Deion Sanders – who performed on the final Tremendous Bowl-winning Cowboys workforce – has a great relationship with Jones and seems to be within the body. The 2 have mentioned the job, based on an individual with information of the dialog. Sanders referenced the state of affairs when he spoke to ESPN on Monday evening.
“To listen to from Jerry Jones is really pleasant, and it’s intriguing,” Sanders stated. “I really like Jerry and imagine in Jerry. After you dangle up and course of it, and give it some thought, it’s intriguing. However I really like Boulder and every little thing there’s about our workforce, the coaches, our scholar physique and the group.”
Talks between Sanders are understood to have been casual to this point, and no interview has taken place. When requested in regards to the prospect of teaching within the NFL in November, Sanders stated he was content material together with his present position with Colorado. “I’m good, I’m completely satisfied, I’m excited. I’m obsessed with the place I’m. I find it irresistible right here, actually do,” he stated.
Sanders performed 5 seasons with the Cowboys, and maintained a friendship with Jones after his retirement from enjoying.
The Cowboys had an unique negotiating window with McCarthy by Tuesday, however the events determined to separate forward of the deadline. At the least one NFL workforce requested throughout that point about speaking to the 61-year-old coach, who received a Tremendous Bowl with Inexperienced Bay.
Earlier than taking the Dallas job after a full season out of teaching, McCarthy was with the Packers for 13 seasons and had a 125-77-2 report from 2006-18. He was 10-8 within the playoffs and led Inexperienced Bay to a Tremendous Bowl title at AT&T Stadium, the house of the Cowboys, 14 years in the past.
There have been additionally three different NFC championship video games for McCarthy in Inexperienced Bay, and that’s what Jones envisioned – and extra – when he employed the coach in 2020.
McCarthy completed with a 50-38 report in Dallas, together with a 1-3 mark within the playoffs. That included final season, when the Cowboys had been NFC East champions and had received 16 consecutive residence video games earlier than trailing by 32 factors within the fourth quarter of a 48-32 wildcard loss to the seventh-seeded Packers.
Dallas performed the ultimate 9 video games this season with out franchise quarterback Dak Prescott due to a torn hamstring. Prime receiver CeeDee Lamb, seven-time Professional Bowl guard Zack Martin, cornerback Trevon Diggs and cross rusher DeMarcus Lawrence additionally completed the season on injured reserve.
Solely 12 NFL coaches have extra profession regular-season wins than McCarthy’s 174, which remains to be far behind Don Shula’s report 328. The one lively coaches with extra wins than McCarthy are Andy Reid (302 wins over 29 seasons) and Mike Tomlin (183 wins in 18 seasons).
Jones’s subsequent coach will probably be his ninth. He employed Jimmy Johnson from the College of Miami, and the Cowboys received back-to-back Tremendous Bowls within the 1992-93 seasons earlier than the school teammates at Arkansas had an acrimonious cut up. Barry Switzer changed Johnson, a Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame coach, and received a Tremendous Bowl in his second season however was fired two years later following a 6-10 season. Invoice Parcells, one other Corridor of Famer, led the Cowboys to the playoffs twice in 4 seasons from 2003-06 however misplaced within the wild-card spherical each instances.
