After the Cowboys suffered an ugly 19–12 loss in the NFC divisional playoff round last Sunday against the 49ers, many observers questioned the job security of coach Mike McCarthy.
Would McCarthy return to the team next season? Would there be significant staff shake-ups if McCarthy did return?
It turns out the Cowboys front office, beginning with owner and general manager Jerry Jones, had staff changes in mind, but it did not include a change to McCarthy’s job status. Instead, six assistants were relieved of their duties, and McCarthy remained in his role as the head coach.
But just how safe is McCarthy’s job?
McCarthy revealed Thursday that Jones told him he wanted McCarthy to coach the Cowboys as long as Tom Landry did.
“We’re in an excellent spot,” McCarthy said of his relationship with the Cowboys’ owner.
For context, Landry coached the Cowboys for 29 consecutive seasons, which is tied with Green Bay’s Curly Lambeau for the longest uninterrupted coaching tenure with one franchise in NFL history. Only George Halas, who coached Chicago for 40 seasons (with some breaks in between), has a longer tenure with one franchise in league history.
That would put McCarthy in incredible company if he were to ever coach as long as Landry. McCarthy would also be 85 years old if he coached 26 more seasons with the Cowboys.
McCarthy hasn’t exactly won over the vast majority of Cowboys fans with the team’s uneven play over his first three seasons at the helm, and now Jones is hoping McCarthy guides the franchise for another quarter-century?
Best of luck, Cowboys fans.
