The Dallas Cowboys are keeping head coach Mike McCarthy for another season.
Despite speculation that the Cowboys would fire McCarthy following the team’s surprising 48-32 loss to Green Bay Packers in the wild card round of the NFL playoffs, the team and owner Jerry Jones released a statement announcing the decision to retain McCarthy for a fifth season.
“I believe this team is very close and capable of achieving our ultimate goals and the best step forward for us will be with Mike McCarthy as our head coach,” said Jones on Wednesday, January 17. “There is great benefit to continuing the team’s progress under Mike’s leadership as our head coach. Specifically, there are many layers of success that have occurred this season as a result of Mike’s approach to leading the team, both with individual players and with our team collectively. Mike has the highest regular season winning percentage of any head coach in Cowboys history and we will dedicate ourselves, in partnership with him, to translating that into reaching our post season goals. Certainly, Mike’s career has demonstrated postseason success at a high level, and we have great confidence that can continue.”
Why Mike McCarthy Was on Hot Seat Before Announcement
McCarthy’s job status was in doubt after a third consecutive season in which Dallas finished with 12 regular season wins, only to be eliminated yet again before the conference championship game.
The Cowboys haven’t advanced to the NFC Championship Game since the 1995 season, the third-longest drought among all NFC teams. Furthermore, their 13 playoff appearances without advancing to the conference championship game is a record since 1970. McCarthy is now 1-3 in the postseason as Cowboys head coach.
Cowboys gonna give McCarthy another shot. My God.
That’s some 100% pure, grass fed, organic Definition of Insanity stuff right there.
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) January 18, 2024
https://t.co/gLSeTA8pyW pic.twitter.com/ndllUlWs5R
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 18, 2024
My biggest fear has happened. I cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NFL.
— Sam Mendelsohn (@Mendy_Island) January 18, 2024
Would’ve been incredible to see Belichick in Dallas. Oh well https://t.co/eVYS55gFk6
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) January 18, 2024
There is something to be said that Jerry Jones has not fired a coach at the end of a season specifically since Dave Campo following 2002.
Bill Parcells walked away on his own terms.
Wade Phillips was fired midseason.
Jason Garrett saw his contract expire, he wasn't fired.
Now…
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) January 18, 2024
Cowboys fans seeing Mike McCarthy will be back as their head coach next season pic.twitter.com/xAkCRqFc0A
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) January 18, 2024
Hours prior to the Cowboys’ announcement, Jon Machota of The Athletic reported that Dallas fans should expect McCarthy back. He cited continuity and McCarthy having one year left on his deal as reasons why the Cowboys would likely bring him back.
“Should a different result be expected in next season’s playoffs? There’s been no reason to think so over the last three years or over the last 28,” Machota wrote in a January 17, 2024 article. “But in Jerry’s eyes, running it back with McCarthy for the final year of his contract could keep continuity in the building, in the locker room, and on offense. Moving on from McCarthy would probably mean an entirely new coaching staff. And that’s something that is probably too risky for Jerry, who turned 81 in October.”
Why Media and Cowboys Fans Are Frustrated Over Mike McCarthy Decision
While continuity makes sense, the problem is, the Cowboys aren’t playing for playoff appearances — they’re playing for Super Bowls. And as Machota mentions, Jones is 81 years old and obviously wants his franchise to win a Super Bowl sooner rather than later. McCarthy has done very little to prove that is happening under his watch.
When factoring in the plethora of big names available in the coaching market — Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll — it feels as if the Cowboys are missing out on a grand opportunity to land a coach that can potentially lead them to a Super Bowl.
Should any one of those aforementioned coaches lead a franchise to a Super Bowl next season or in the near future, the Cowboys will obviously regret their decision to retain McCarthy for another season.
