Cowboys won't bring back head coach Mike McCarthy

The Dallas Cowboys will not bring back head coach Mike McCarthy, the team announced Monday.

McCarthy signed a five-year contract with the Cowboys before the 2020 season, which is set to expire Tuesday.

"Over the past week, Mike and I had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and staff, and also spent considerable time discussing the road forward for the team," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "These discussions were thorough and received an appropriate amount of time and depth to cover. Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction. I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here."

In five seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach, McCarthy posted a 49-35 record. His .583 winning percentage is the fourth best in franchise history. McCarthy coached three straight 12-5 teams from 2021 to 2023, but he struggled in the playoffs, winning only one game in four tries.

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Dallas is coming off a 7-10 season. The Cowboys got off to an average start, splitting their first six games. Then, in a Week 9 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Dak Prescott was lost for the season with a hamstring injury.

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Still, after a 3-5 start, Dallas finished 4-5 even without Prescott.

Whoever the Cowboys hire next will be only their third head coach since the 2011 season. Before McCarthy, Jason Garrett coached the team from the middle of the 2010 season through 2019.

McCarthy, ESPN reported, is expected to be a candidate for other jobs during the current coaching cycle. The Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints are rumored to be interested in him.

Before he took the Dallas job, McCarthy was head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to 2018, when he was fired 12 games into the season. He went 125-77-2 with the Packers and won the Super Bowl after the 2010 season.

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McCarthy has also been offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints.

In his career, McCarthy is 174-112-2, with an 11-11 playoff record. He is 12th on the NFL’s all-time wins list.