Mike McCarthy has coached long enough to know how suddenly an NFL chapter can end. But nearly a year removed from his departure, the former Dallas Cowboys head coach says he holds no resentment toward a franchise that moved on after a disappointing 2024 season.
The Cowboys parted ways with McCarthy in January despite three straight playoff appearances earlier in his tenure.
Dak Prescott shares emotional moment with Jerry Jones after Cowboys’ Thanksgiving win
And instead of frustration, McCarthy says he only feels appreciation for a five-year stretch that delivered 49 wins, two NFC East titles and what he calls “a lifetime’s worth of lessons.”
“I think that carrying wasted negative energy is not something I really want to engage in at this point of my life,” McCarthy said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I’m very thankful for my 30-plus years in this league… Kansas City, New Orleans, Green Bay, San Francisco and obviously the Dallas Cowboys.”
Dallas finished 7-10 during McCarthy‘s final season, a year heavily shaped by Dak Prescott‘s nine-game absence. Even so, owner Jerry Jones elected to make a coaching change, promoting offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach, a move framed publicly as mutual.
“These discussions were thorough,” Jones said then. “It became clear it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction.”
What McCarthy thinks of Brian Schottenheimer taking over in Dallas
If there is any lingering disappointment, McCarthy isn’t letting it show. Instead, he praised Schottenheimer‘s elevation, noting their decades-long relationship – McCarthy has known Schottenheimer since he was in high school – and expressing support for his former coordinator’s leadership.
“When you’re able to step away from it, your appreciation goes up even more,” McCarthy said. “Yeah, I root for those guys.”
Schottenheimer has earned strong reviews inside the building as well.
Dak Prescott recently credited the new head coach for his consistency following the Cowboys‘ Thanksgiving win over Kansas City, saying he has been “the same man through the adversity and now through some success.”
Where will McCarthy land next?
McCarthy, meanwhile, remains one of the most experienced names available should he choose to pursue another job.
With 22 postseason games coached, a Super Bowl title in Green Bay, and a .608 career winning percentage, he is expected to draw interest from teams seeking a steady hand.
One of those teams could be the New York Giants. After firing Brian Daboll, former Giants running back Tiki Barber publicly floated McCarthy as a candidate who “has done it before” and could stabilize a roster built around promising young quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Reports have also linked McCarthy to the Tennessee Titans, who are believed to want an experienced coach capable of developing rookie quarterback Cam Ward.
