HC Mike McCarthy, Cowboys Agree to Contract After Jason Garrett's Exit

Mike McCarthy's unemployment has come to an end after he was hired by the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, he confirmed to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports was first to report the agreement. Glazer added that an official announcement and press conference will occur "later this week." Per Todd Archer of ESPN, McCarthy signed a five-year contract with the team.

The news comes after the team announced Sunday that it would be parting ways with Jason Garrett.

ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported that McCarthy stayed at Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' house Saturday evening.

"Once you stay at Jerry's house, he doesn't lose his guy," the source told Schefter.

McCarthy was fired by the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 2, 2018, the same day the team was stunned 20-17 by the Arizona Cardinals. He went out on a sour note with a 4-7-1 record that campaign. 

The Packers' streak of eight straight playoff appearances came to an end in 2017, but their 7-9 record that season could be attributed to Aaron Rodgers missing six games because of a broken collarbone. 

After McCarthy was fired, Packers chief executive Mark Murphy told reporters it was in the best interest of the coach and the organization. 

"I felt a change was needed," he said. "Mike's tenure had run its course."

Despite the abrupt ending, McCarthy had one of the most successful coaching tenures in Packers history. His 125 wins rank second in franchise history, behind Curly Lambeau at 209.

Excluding Matt LaFleur's first year at the helm in 2019, only Vince Lombardi (.754), Mike Holmgren (.670) and Lambeau (.668) have higher winning percentages than McCarthy's .618 mark. McCarthy led Green Bay to nine playoff appearances, including one Super Bowl victory in 2010. 

The Cowboys will be hoping to get that kind of production from McCarthy, who comes into his new job with plenty to prove after his unceremonious end in Green Bay.

The dots connecting McCarthy and the Cowboys have been present for a few days.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen noted what type of coach the Cowboys were looking for in their search:

"The Dallas Cowboys are intensely focused on head-coach candidates who have extensive NFL experience in the role and a track record of success, which is why former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis were interviewed this weekend, according to a source familiar with the search for Jason Garrett's replacement."

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports provided similar sentiments regarding Dallas' look for NFL experience.

Word emerged last week that McCarthy, who was in Dallas for an interview, stayed an extra day in town because the meeting went so well, per Glazer (h/t Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports).

Bucky Brooks of NFL Network provided his take:

Jane Slater of NFL Network received remarks from Cowboys wideout (and ex-Packers wide receiver under McCarthy) Randall Cobb, who's a clear fan of the move.

Regardless of what McCarthy does in his second NFL head coaching stop, it's clear that he's been preparing well for a return to the league.

ESPN's Rob Demovsky had more:

"McCarthy, who went 135-85-2 (including nine playoff appearances) in his 13 seasons as the Packers head coach, not only has a blueprint for a coaching staff, a refurbished playbook and even practice schedules already done, but he has put together ideas for a heavily staffed team of analytics and football technology departments."

On the latter point, football analyst Warren Sharp noted that McCarthy and Garrett are "diametric opposites."

McCarthy will be the ninth head coach in Cowboys history. He will look to give Dallas its first Super Bowl win in 25 years.

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Adam Lefkoe is joined by Brian Westbrook on The Lefkoe Show for their second painful Eagles funeral of the year. They also break down the Saints head-scratching loss to the Vikings, the possible end to the Patriots two-decade reign atop the AFC, and Deshaun Watson's absolutely clutch overtime performance. Plus, the Cowboys have hired their new head coach in Mike McCarthy, and Lefkoe and Westbrook go through which NFL teams might realistically be a landing spot for Tom Brady next year.