Marriage of Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy is dawning of a new day for the Dallas Cowboys
Only Jerry Jones could usher in a new era of Dallas Cowboys football — a fresh start with an old coach, and the full gamut of emotions.
But that is what happened on Wednesday with the introduction of Mike McCarthy as the ninth head coach in franchise history before a packed crowd of reporters, family, players and staffers at Ford Center at The Star.
It was a proud moment for a proud Cowboys franchise, the dawning of a new day.
There was laughter as Jones told stories, as only he can, comparing his decision to hire McCarthy to choosing a life partner. “I heard bells,” he said at one point.
Showing more personality than expected, McCarthy admitted that he lied to Jones during the interview on Saturday about watching “every play” of the 2019 season as a part of his process of self-improvement so he could be ready for his next coaching gig.
“I need to confess. I told Jerry I watched every play of the 2019 season. I wanted the job,” McCarthy said to laughter. “You do what you gotta do, right? It was more about tracking the trends and seeing what people were doing.”
There were tears from Jones and McCarthy, who talked about his family and needing to get away from coaching girls volleyball as he did this past year.
This was a situation of two parties who needed each other.
And who, together, can make the Cowboys not just great again but Super Bowl champions.
Make no mistake about it, that is what this marriage is all about.
Jones chose McCarthy, who won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers following the 2010 season, because he was a proven coach who he believes can help him hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since 1995.
McCarthy is coming into the situation with his eyes wide open. He is familiar with having to live to the legacy of a historic franchise in Green Bay and he is motivated to remake his own ending after getting fired in 2018.
He also knows there will be no honeymoon. Expectations of greatness start now.
“This is the Dallas Cowboys. I don’t think you need to go further than that. Obviously, the tradition and history here is so unique,” McCarthy said. “It’s an iconic franchise.”
What’s new and fresh about the marriage between Jones and McCarthy is the new coach will be given more power than his predecessor, Jason Garrett.
Jones is allowing McCarthy to choose his own coaching staff, a departure from past dealings, and he will have a strong input in player personnel.
They are characterized as “we” decisions but the goal of the front office is to build a team that suits the offensive and defensive style of the coaching staff.
Vice president Stephen Jones said McCarthy would have exactly the same authority on staff and personnel as Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells did when he was with the Cowboys from 2004-2006. That’s considerably more influence than the rest of Jones’ past hires.
“One of our primary goals in selecting the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys was to focus on a proven team builder and winner, someone who has a proven track record of winning, not only consistently but at the highest level,” Jones said. “In Mike McCarthy we found a coach who not only checked those boxes, but also has the experience of taking an NFL team to the biggest stage.”
And after 12 hours last weekend, it all came together and pact was consummated by a hug. Jones was not the only one who heard bells.
And Jones was not the only one who heard bells.
“Jerry is telling a story about the purchase of the Dallas Cowboys and at the end of the story he leans over to me and he grabs me by the forearm and reaches out to shake my hand and he says, ‘You need to be the coach of the Dallas Cowboys,’ McCarthy recalled with a smile. “I jumped up and hugged him. I’ll stop right there. We had a hell of a time.
“Now that’s a moment. And that’s a story I’ll be telling the rest of my life.”
A new life has started with the Cowboys and for the franchise.
This story was originally published January 8, 2020 at 7:04 PM.
