“I have great respect for Mike”

FRISCO, TX — For only the ninth time in franchise history, the Dallas Cowboys are embarking on a search for a new head coach. With the expiration of his current contract as the team’s head coach fast approaching, Mike McCarthy will be leaving after coaching five seasons with the club.

Hours after the decision was made, and a day before the expiration and deadline of the aforementioned exclusive negotiations, owner and general manager Jerry Jones released an official statement.

“Throughout Mike McCarthy’s tenure here, including these last few weeks, I have been very complimentary of the work he has done,” Jones said. “This applies to our record over this period, to the unity and culture of our team, to Mike’s qualifications and successes, and on a personal level as a great human being. J “I have great respect for Mike and he has led the team through some very unique and difficult times during his tenure.”

What this decision means for names like Mike Zimmer and Al Harris is anyone’s guess, at least for now.

McCarthy joined the Cowboys in 2020 as the successor to Jason Garrett who, at that point in his football career, was a lifer with the organization dating back to his father’s days as a legendary scout for Dallas and, later, Garrett became the team’s backup. quarterback behind Troy Aikman before landing the role of offensive coordinator and, ultimately, the head coaching seat.

“Before we got to the stage of contract negotiations, it became clear to all of us that it would be best for each of us to go in a different direction,” Jones added. “I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here.”

It was a five-year deal for McCarthy, who turned around a pandemic-hampered inaugural season to launch three straight 12-win campaigns, with his career with the Cowboys unfortunately limited by only his second losing season in five tries .

Is there any idea what the Cowboys front office will look for in a new head coach?

It’s not clear yet, but research will now begin.

“We will immediately begin a search process to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said.

McCarthy becomes one of the winningest regular season head coaches in Cowboys history, but he is unable to turn that into playoff success for a team hungry for a return to Super Bowl glory.

Both parties initially had interest in continuing the relationship before the end of the season, but that did not happen.

Whether it’s contract length and/or compensation and/or unknown variables, McCarthy’s tenure is over. He is now free to interview with any of the NFL’s other 31 teams, with the Cowboys initially declining a request from the Chicago Bears to speak with him during the exclusive negotiating rights window.

And, with that, the No.9 head coach needs to be appointed, and preferably sooner rather than later when considering the ramifications of installing a new coaching regime.