Here’s why Cowboys fans should be thrilled Mike McCarthy got hired

The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly hired Mike McCarthy as their next head coach. Here is why Cowboys fans should be thrilled about the hiring.

After taking seemingly forever to fire their former head coach Jason Garrett, the Dallas Cowboys are the second team in this offseason cycle to hire a new head coach. Dallas officially parted ways with Garrett on Sunday afternoon. The Cowboys acted swiftly after that by hiring former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy on Monday morning.

FOX’s Jay Glazer was the first to report McCarthy was coming to Dallas after a year out of football. This will be his second go-around as an NFL head coach, having coached the Packers from 2006 to 2018. He went 125-77-2 with Green Bay, going 10-8 in the NFC playoffs, winning Super Bowl XLV back in 2010. Cowboys fans should be ecstatic about landing McCarthy as their next head coach.

Prior to getting fired midway through the 2018 NFL season, McCarthy only had three losing seasons in Green Bay. That would be Aaron Rodgers’ first year as a starting quarterback in 2008 and McCarthy’s last two years in Green Bay in 2017 and 2018.

From 2007-16, Green Bay made the playoffs nine times under his watch. Green Bay won its division six times over that span, reached four NFC Championship games, won at least 10 games eight times and averaged more than one playoff victory per season. While his time in Green Bay didn’t end cleanly, McCarthy ushered in tremendous consistency, along with postseason success.

So why should Cowboys fans be over the moon about Dallas hiring McCarthy?

They are getting a coach who is proven, one who elevates the quarterback position, one who has dealt with interesting ownership situations and one who is clearly hungry for his next opportunity. A recharged McCarthy is exactly what the Cowboys need to win the division in 2020.

McCarthy’s track record on the sidelines speaks for itself. He has proven he can win a competitive division more times than not. The NFC North was competitive during his time in Green Bay and the same principles apply in Dallas in the NFC East.

Yes, at times Rodgers would elevate McCarthy’s questionable offensive play-calling, but he is a guy who gave Rodgers the freedom to become the most consistently dynamic quarterback of the 2010s. Their working relationship was tumultuous at times, but they did bring the best out of each other. Look for Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott to continue his growth under McCarthy’s tutelage.

As for weird ownership situations, you have to remember that McCarthy coached in Green Bay, a franchise owned by the community, one setup unlike any other in North American professional sports. Yes, he’s going from no owner to the most well-known owner in the NFL. It’ll be different, but McCarthy thrived in different during his decade-plus run in Green Bay. What’s normal anyway?

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, McCarthy is out to prove his doubters wrong. His final two years in Green Bay went horribly. Rodgers had injuries and the roster wasn’t near good enough to overcome its star player going down. Yes, McCarthy made plenty of mistakes along the way, but he had the presence of mind to sit out in 2019 to find the best opportunity for him in 2020.

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What might be the best part of this hire is that McCarthy was a complete outsider to the Cowboys organization. With the exception of last season, McCarthy had coached on an NFL team dating back to 1993 on the Kansas City Chiefs’ staff. Overall, McCarthy has a wealth of football knowledge that has no ties to the Cowboys organization. It’s the medicine this franchise needs.