Report: Cowboys hire Mike McCarthy to be next head coach

The Dallas Cowboys took a long time to fire Jason Garrett, but they did not waste any time in finding his replacement. The team is expected to announce Mike McCarthy as their new head coach later this week, according to FOX Sports reporter Jay Glazer.

The Green Bay Packers fired McCarthy in December of 2018 after a 4-7-1 start to the season followed a 7-9 performance in 2017. McCarthy finished his time in Green Bay with a cumulative record of 125-77-2 and one Super Bowl title.

McCarthy spent the past year preparing for his next opportunity. He developed “The McCarthy Project,” in which he collaborated with former coaches Jim Haslett, Frank Cignetti Jr. and Scott McCurley to study league trends and rebuild playbooks. He spent much of the year figuring out where he could improve when he eventually got his next job.

He joins a Cowboys franchise at a bit of a cross-roads. The organization has alternated playoff appearances six years, but lost all three playoff appearances in the Divisional round. Jason Garrett finished his career in Dallas with an 85-67 record, but regularly seemed to underachieve in his ten years as head coach.

Garrett’s contract was set to expire next week, and Jerry Jones took his time deciding to formally fire him. Jones had already interviewed McCarthy and Marvin Lewis before finally firing Garrett.

Dak Prescott could hit free agency this offseason, but will likely either be franchised or sign a contract extension. There’s a lot of talent on the roster, and it’s up to McCarthy to do something more with it.