Six weeks into the NFL season, 1/32nd of the league’s head coaches has already been fired. However, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is not among them. Despite a shaky 3-3 start, marked by two blowout home losses and another near-blowout, McCarthy’s job appears secure for now.
Doug Pederson in Jacksonville? Possibly on the hot seat. Nick Sirianni in Philadelphia? His recent struggles are giving Eagles management an easy decision if they choose to move on.
But in Dallas, McCarthy remains the man in charge, and that’s not expected to change anytime soon.
Following a 47-9 blowout loss to the Lions, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was asked about McCarthy’s future. Jones quickly dismissed the idea of making a midseason coaching change. During his regular radio spot on 105.7 The Fan in Dallas, he was asked again and stood firm: “I won’t be making any others [coaching changes] during the season.”
Cowboys Rarely Make In-Season Coaching Changes
While in-season firings have worked for some struggling franchises, Jones has only made one such change during his tenure as Cowboys owner, and it didn’t go as planned.
In 2010, after an 11-5 season the previous year, the Cowboys stumbled to a 1-7 start under Wade Phillips, with Tony Romo dealing with injuries and inconsistent play. Jones fired Phillips and promoted Jason Garrett, who led the team to a 5-3 record to close the season.
What stands out more to Jones, however, is Phillips’ later success. Five years after his dismissal, Phillips became the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, helping them win a Super Bowl.
“In-season changes usually don’t work,” Jones told the Dallas Morning News. “At the time [with Phillips], I thought it was the right call. It did have a positive effect, but we’ll never know. All Wade did was go to Denver, not as head coach but as defensive coordinator, and he was widely credited with being the reason Denver won that Super Bowl.
“That’s the coach I let go just a few years earlier. So, much for overreacting to 1-7.”
Mike McCarthy’s Lame-Duck Status
Jones’ reluctance to fire McCarthy might suggest confidence in him, but McCarthy is currently in the final year of his contract. The Cowboys have not offered an extension, leaving McCarthy in a precarious position.
McCarthy himself acknowledged the situation on Monday.
“I think it’s just part of the business,” McCarthy told ESPN’s Todd Archer. “It comes with working here—it’s part of the job.”
