Latest On Cowboys Coaching Search: Bill Belichick, Ben Johnson, Mike McCarthy

Now that the Cowboys have finally decided which direction they’re going at head coach, parting ways with HC Mike McCarthy instead of renewing his contract, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones says Dallas is working hard to catch up after waiting a week to join the coaching search process. 

Jones says Cowboys owner Jerry Jones knocked out the inclusive hiring training required by the NFL early Monday afternoon and shortly after making the decision not to renew McCarthy’s contract. He added it’s not clear who else took the training, which is mandated for anyone involved in the hiring process. 

Jones adds his sources told him the driving force in the split was the inability to agree on a new contract, which other reports have corroborated. However, Jerry Jones released a statement that said, in part, that before the two sides started contract talks it became clear that the best thing for both would be to go their separate ways. 

Thank you, Coach McCarthy#DallasCowboys | https://t.co/lZcM1wJESO pic.twitter.com/FKAHQ2MFWB

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) January 13, 2025

Jane Slater reports McCarthy and the coaching staff didn’t love being left to twist in the wind after the season, and there was frustration that Jones didn’t know or decide what to do until a week after the season ended. 

Slater mentions she thinks McCarthy ultimately lost patience with the way negotiations were going and told his staff today that no new deals were coming. Albert Breer also got the sense McCarthy was annoyed at the way this past week played out. 

As far as what’s next, multiple sources told Jones to keep an eye on North Carolina HC Bill Belichick as an option for Dallas, as Belichick would have had interest in the job if it was available. Jones adds Texas HC Steve Sarkisian is a candidate to monitor as well, and Ed Werder mentioned Eagles OC Kellen Moore. 

As for Lions OC Ben Johnson, Jones points out the Cowboys have missed their chance to interview him until after Detroit is eliminated from the playoffs. Teams can’t conduct in-person interviews with any candidates who work for teams still alive in the postseason unless they had a virtual interview first this week.

That window closes at the end of tonight’s Rams/Vikings playoff game and Jones notes Johnson has closed it already to focus on preparing for the Lions’ next playoff opponent. 

Belichick, 72, got his start coaching in the NFL in 1975 with the then-Baltimore Colts. He had assistant jobs with the Lions and Broncos before landing with the Giants, where he eventually rose to defensive coordinator under legendary HC Bill Parcells. 

The Browns hired Belichick as head coach in 1991 and he was in the post for five years before being fired. He rejoined Parcells as an assistant with the Patriots and left to go with him to the Jets the following year.

He was slated to replace Parcells as head coach of the Jets in 2000 but infamously resigned and was hired by the Patriots, who had to give up a first-round pick to the Jets as compensation. Belichick won six Super Bowls in 24 years in New England before being let go at the end of the 2023 season. 

For his career, Belichick has a record of 302-163 over 29 seasons (.655 W/L percentage) and has eight Super Bowl rings, six of them as head coach of the Patriots. He’s a three-time winner of the AP Coach of the Year award. 

McCarthy, 61, began his NFL coaching career with the Chiefs back in 1993 as an offensive quality control coordinator. He bounced around with the Packers, Saints and 49ers before the Packers hired him as their head coach in 2006.

The Packers made the decision to move on from McCarthy following a disappointing loss to the Cardinals in Week 13 of 2018. He was out of football in 2019 before being hired by the Cowboys in 2020.

During his 13-year tenure in Green Bay, McCarthy led the Packers to a record of 125-77-2 (61.8 percent), which includes nine playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title in 2010.

McCarthy has a record of 49-35 (58.3 percent) in five years with the Cowboys, with three playoff appearances and a 1-3 record in the postseason. 

We’ll have more on the Cowboys’ coaching search as the news is available.