Cowboys nation was abuzz when Jason Garrett was fired after the 2019 season. This was at the peak of teams hunting for Sean McVay clones to become head coaches, and the thought was that Dak Prescott would finally get a coach with some innovative offensive ideas.
When the Cowboys then hired Mike McCarthy ahead of the 2020 season, the move was met with raised eyebrows. McCarthy had been out of the league for a year after parting ways with the Packers, but more importantly, he very clearly felt like a retread hire -- a hire made by a team trying to stay relevant rather than win a Super Bowl.
In McCarthy's three years, the Cowboys are 30-20 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs heading into Sunday's playoff game against the 49ers. They're also 24-10 in the past two seasons and a win away from the team's first conference championship appearance since 1995.
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McCarthy and Prescott have been a solid pairing. Prescott threw a career-high 37 touchdowns last season and he threw 23 this season despite missing five games. Interceptions have been an issue for Prescott this year, however.
McCarthy is no stranger to elite quarterback play. He and Aaron Rodgers enjoyed an 11-year run together in which they made three NFC championship games and won a Super Bowl. That's now McCarthy's goal with the Cowboys.
Mike McCarthy coaching record
McCarthy is 155-92-2 in his 16-year NFL coaching career. Entering Sunday, he's 11-9 in the playoffs and has been one-and-done four times.
With the Cowboys, McCarthy is 30-20 in the regular season and 1-1 in the playoffs. With the Packers, he was 125-77-2 in the regular season and 10-8 in the playoffs.
Mike McCarthy coaching timeline
McCarthy started his coaching career in earnest with the Pitt Panthers as a wide receivers coach. He was scooped up by the Chiefs to be their offensive quality control coach.
McCarthy then bounced around the NFL, holding various offensive coaching positions. He graduated to quarterbacks coach with the Chiefs before joining the Packers to hold the same position in 1999. McCarthy was brought onto Jim Haslett's Saints staff in 2000 as offensive coordinator. He spent five years in New Orleans.
After a season as the 49ers' offensive coordinator, McCarthy was hired as Packers head coach in 2006.
McCarthy coached in Green Bay for 13 seasons, winning a Super Bowl and amassing a 125-77-2 record. By the end of his tenure, his offense was criticized as being stale and holding Rodgers back. He was let go toward following a loss to the Cardinals in Week 13 of the 2018 season.
McCarthy went on a one-year hiatus despite interest from numerous teams. He focused on analytics during his break. Then, ahead of the 2020 season, the Cowboys interviewed and hired him.
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Although McCarthy's job security is regularly questioned, he has found success early with the Cowboys. The question now is whether can take them to a championship appearance. If he's able to do that, he'll be set moving forward. If the Cowboys lose to the 49ers, however, questions about him will persist as the coaching carousel continues to turn.
