The Dallas Cowboys are in the market for a new head coach as owner Jerry Jones decided not to renew Mike McCarthy’s contract.
McCarthy spent five years with the Cowboys, compiling a 49-35 record. Dallas went 12-5 in his second, third, and fourth seasons but earned no more than one playoff win in those three appearances.
This year, the team won just seven games, failing to meet preseason expectations. With Jones waiting to decide on parting ways with McCarthy, some top options are no longer available for interviews due to playoff obligations. This robbed the Cowboys of a chance to get an initial interview with coveted coaches available to meet with teams.
Cowboys McCarthy Delay May Cost Them a Top Coach
Jones waited until the last moment to negotiate and then decided not to bring McCarthy back as the Cowboys head coach, which could have some consequences.
FOX Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reports that the Cowboys’ delay prevented them from interviewing coaches who were on a bye during Wild Card Weekend.
That includes Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Dallas must now wait until the Lions’ playoff run ends to interview either of those coaches.
Because the #Cowboys waited a week to move on from Mike McCarthy, Jerry Jones also missed the window to request interviews with candidates on a bye, like #Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn. If Dallas wants to talk to them, they’ll now have to wait until Detroit’s season… https://t.co/KOYarwyPpc pic.twitter.com/Fmpv9jyRyb
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 13, 2025
Schultz also reports that there possibly would have been mutual interest between Bill Belichick and the Cowboys had the position been open.
“Belichick and his camp never received any indication during backchannel conversations that the job would open up, which is partly why he ended up at UNC,” Schultz reported. “Belichick has an excellent relationship with the Jones family.”
These reports surrounding the Cowboys handling of McCarthy’s final days have to be extremely frustrating to fans, especially if the next coach is an underwhelming name.
Cowboys Fans Sound Off on Latest Coaching Report
With Dallas being dubbed “America’s Team,” the fan base is large and loud. The overwhelming sentiment is poor with Jones taking his sweet time on making a decision about McCarthy’s future.
Cowboys fans are not happy about the news of who Dallas could have interviewed if not for Jones waiting until the last possible moment to let go of McCarthy.
This is malpractice from the Jones family. But hey, all in. https://t.co/6ie5EwPWjZ
— Will (@RealWillKelly) January 13, 2025
“Jerry being Jerry,” said one Cowboys fan.
“Everything about how Jerry Jones operates is just weird. Waited on CeeDee, waited on Dak,” one fan added. “There’s just a bad pattern here.”
“It’s Jerry Jones, what do you expect,” another Cowboys fan said.
Most incompetent organization. Why did it take a week to figure out we were firing tubby the whale? Another mistake under the Jones leadership. Some things never change. https://t.co/bGsKWz17FE
— O.G Illiniwek (@GIlliniwek) January 13, 2025
The Cowboys now become the seventh NFL team that will have a new head coach next season.