Don't Like Mike? Cowboys Coach McCarthy Ranked ‘Worst Super Bowl Winner’

McCarthy was labeled a mid-tier coach in a list compiled by CBS Sports.

A ring doesn't do a thing for Mike McCarthy in CBS Sports' ranking of the 32 active NFL coaches.

McCarthy, set to enter his third season wearing the Dallas Cowboys' top headset, was ranked 18th on that list, immediately ahead of fellow NFC East competitor Ron Rivera in Washington. The pair is ranked in a subcategory labeled "The Guys", who are defined as "proven or respected as competitors but not necessarily title contenders". 

While McCarthy's ranking places him almost perfectly in the middle, No. 18 is the worst among active coaches that have won a Super Bowl. McCarthy was at the helm when the Green Bay Packers topped the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game's 45th edition in 2011. The game was, perhaps ironically, staged at the Cowboys' Arlington home of AT&T Stadium (then known as Cowboys Stadium). 

Vince Lombardi Trophy hoisters Andy Reid, Sean McVay, Bill Belichick, and Mike Tomlin respectively sweep the top five while Pete Carroll ranks eighth. McCarthy's closest competition is new Jacksonville Jaguars boss Doug Pederson, who's best known for leading the Philadelphia Eagles' championship in 2018. 

The accompanying caption in McCarthy's slot actually offers some praise, noting his propensity for strong win totals (last season's 12-win campaign being his ninth with at least 10) and that "the pendulum has probably swung a little too far in terms of criticizing McCarthy". 

However, a new brand of criticism almost immediately emerges, blaming McCarthy's low ranking on his lack of championship accolades despite high-octane, talented rosters.

"With so much talent at his disposal, ill-timed, old-school decisions have too often doomed him," the caption reads. It praises McCarthy for delegating some of his duties to offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, but then turns it into a backhanded compliment. "Maybe (those shortcomings are) why team owner Jerry Jones publicly ponders about canning him for his own defensive coordinator."

Dallas, returning several of its most prominent offensive names, is burdened with its traditional amount of preseason hype. The Cowboys will likely be labeled the summer favorites to win the NFC East but postseason triumphs, namely those beyond the Wild Card round, will likely be the only way that McCarthy can boost his stock on lists such as these. McCarthy's first playoff appearance with the Cowboys (his first playoff appearance since 2016) ended in heartbreak, as Dallas was the victim of an upset at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. 

The NFC East doesn't get much love in the CBS rankings: Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni tops the divisional quartet at 16th ahead of McCarthy and Rivera, while the New York Giants' newcomer Brian Daboll rounds out the group at No. 22.