Mike McCarthy is heading into his fourth season as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, and this time around, he’s doing things his way. After spending his first three seasons in Dallas giving Kellen Moore the keys to the offense, McCarthy is calling plays this year with hopes it can take this Cowboys team over the top for the first time in over a quarter century.
There are a lot of expectations every year for the Cowboys to be successful, and no one is more aware of the noise than their head coach.
Mike McCarthy Looking To Take Cowboys Over the Top
McCarthy’s Cowboys are fresh off back-to-back 12-5 seasons for the first time in over 14 years. However, both seasons have ended the way we’ve all become accustomed to as of late — with an early-round playoff exit.
Despite the recent regular-season success, McCarthy has made changes to his staff with the hope that they are just what this team needs to finally get over the hump in 2023. As mentioned, McCarthy fired Moore and is tasking himself with calling plays this season, putting it on his own shoulders to sink or swim.
Who Was the Head Coach Before McCarthy?
Before McCarthy got to Dallas in 2020, the Cowboys’ long-time head coach was Jason Garrett. Garrett was the man in charge of the Cowboys for nine full seasons starting in 2011 after taking over halfway through the 2010 season.
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Garrett’s record during that time was 85-67, including being named NFL Coach of the Year in 2016. Much like McCarthy thus far in his tenure, Garrett wasn’t able to sustain much playoff success, and ultimately, the inability to elevate the franchise led to his dismissal.
What Is McCarthy’s Record With the Cowboys?
McCarthy has coached exactly 50 games for the Cowboys and has a 30-20 record during that time. In three years with Dallas, McCarthy has two double-digit win seasons. The only year he did not reach that feat was his first season, which also happened to be the COVID season in 2020 and when quarterback Dak Prescott broke his ankle in the first month of the season, derailing the year.
Has McCarthy Ever Won a Super Bowl?
McCarthy has one Super Bowl championship on his résumé, which came back in 2010 when he was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. The Packers, with Aaron Rodgers under center, went 10-6 in the regular season that year before going on a playoff run that saw them run the table en route to McCarthy’s first and only Lombardi Trophy.