Mike McCarthy’s tenure as Dallas Cowboys head coach has come to an end after five seasons and a 49-35 record, as NFL media’s Tom Pelissero reported on Monday that the two sides could not agree to terms on a new contract and McCarthy will look elsewhere for a new coaching job.
McCarthy took the Cowboys to the playoffs three times in his five seasons at the helm, but went 1-3 in the postseason and never got past the Divisional round. Still, there was clearly some interest from Dallas in retaining McCarthy, but they apparently weren’t willing to give him the long-term commitment he was seeking and so he will look for a new opportunity in coaching free agency. That feels like the right thing for both parties, as the Cowboys and McCarthy seemed stuck in a rut of sorts — his five years in Dallas felt more like a decade.
The Cowboys blocked McCarthy from interviewing with the Chicago Bears last week, so one would assume he will now speak with the Bears about their opening, while the Jets, Saints, Jaguars, and Raiders are all also looking for a new head coach. As for the Cowboys, one would assume they will get in the mix for any of the top current assistants but also, knowing Jerry Jones, explore options for an established head coach with a big name at either the pro or college level. At minimum, we will get one more round of Deion Sanders to the NFL rumors.