Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy found himself on the NFL coaching hot seat entering Wild Card Weekend, needing multiple playoff victories to prove himself. Instead, the Cowboys’ season ended prematurely and owner Jerry Jones could already be eyeing McCarthy’s replacement.
Dallas originally fired Jason Garrett and brought in McCarthy to help it get over the playoff hump. Instead, the Cowboys keep running into the same problems in the playoffs. Now, for the 29th consecutive season, Dallas hasn’t reached the NFC Championship Game.
- Mike McCarthy coaching record: 42-25 with the Dallas Cowboys
Related: Dallas Cowboys coaching candidates
Jones wouldn’t comment on McCarthy’s future during Sunday’s post-game press conference. However, cameras captured the visible frustration from the Cowboys’ owner throughout the game. With a meeting scheduled with his head coach this week, there seems to be a strong chance that a change is made.
If McCarthy is fired, Dallas would immediately have the best opening in football. It would position them to land one of the top NFL coaching candidates in 2024, but it’s also known that Jones wants someone who can put his team over the top.
One rival NFL executive told Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz that he believes Jones will now make an aggressive pursuit of former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to take over in Dallas.
Belichick, fired last week by New England and replaced by Jerod Mayo, has a strong relationship with Jones. The greatest coach in NFL history remains as sharp as ever defensively, coaching up one of the best NFL defenses in 2023 despite a league-worst offense and season-ending injuries to key defensive players.
Related: Dallas Cowboys draft picks 2024
With the Cowboys likely going to lose defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to a head-coaching job, potentially with the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas needs a top defensive mind to pair with Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Trevon Diggs. Belichick would bring championship experience to the locker room and help this defense maintain its excellence.
There are other head-coaching candidates to keep an eye on for Dallas. Some have mentioned Michigan Wolverines’ Jim Harbaugh as a perfect fit and another recently-fired coach is reportedly interested in the Cowboys’ job if it’s available.
