Cowboys Hiring Mike McCarthy as Head Coach

The Cowboys have found their next head coach after firing Jason Garrett.

Former Packers coach Mike McCarthy has agreed to become the next head coach of the Cowboys, less than a day after Dallas informed Jason Garrett his contract would not be extended. 

Fox's Jay Glazer first reported the news and McCarthy later confirmed to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero that he had signed with the Cowboys.

McCarthy's contract with Dallas will be for five years, according to ESPN's Todd Archer.

The Cowboys took the unusual step of interviewing candidates—specifically McCarthy and former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis—before officially firing Garrett. McCarthy spent the night on Saturday at the home of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 

Garrett went 85–67 in nine and a half seasons in charge of the Cowboys but was let go after stumbling to an 8–8 finish this season that saw Dallas fall short of the playoffs. The decision to cut Garrett loose was drawn out over a week and clouded by confusion. Garrett and Jones met at least three times during the week before he was finally informed Sunday that he would not return as head coach. 

“We are extremely grateful to Jason Garrett for his more than 20 years of service to the Dallas Cowboys as a player, assistant coach and head coach,” Jones said in a statement. “His level of commitment, character and dedication to this organization has been outstanding at every stage of his career.”

McCarthy, who also interviewed for the head coaching vacancies with the Giants, Browns and Panthers, spent 13 years with the Packers before being fired after Week 13 in 2018.