Michael John McCarthy (born November 10, 1963) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
coach who is the
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
of the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). From
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
to
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, he was the head coach of the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
. In 2011, he led the team to a win in
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...
over his hometown
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
and
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
.
During his 16 seasons as a head coach in the NFL, McCarthy has an overall regular season record of 155–97–2.
He is among the only five head coaches (
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was an American professional football player and coach. He was the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL), a position he held for 29 seasons. Dur ...
,
Chuck Noll
Chuck is a masculine given name or a nickname for Charles or Charlie. It may refer to:
People
Arts and entertainment
* Chuck Alaimo, American saxophonist, leader of the Chuck Alaimo Quartet
* Chuck Barris (1929–2017), American TV producer
* ...
,
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...
and
Bill Belichick
William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
) to lead one franchise to eight straight playoff appearances. McCarthy is second to
Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau (April 9, 1898 – June 1, 1965) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Lambeau, along with his friend and fellow Green Bay, Wisconsin native George Whitney Calho ...
in all-time wins leading the Packers.
Early life
McCarthy was born and raised in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, in the blue-collar neighborhood of
Greenfield. His mother, Ellen McCarthy, was a secretary who also worked in restaurants and for the Peace & Justice Center.
His father, Joe McCarthy, was a firefighter for the
Pittsburgh Fire Bureau
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire (PBF) provides fire protection, fire suppression and prevention for the City of Pittsburgh, as well as BLS response on medical details. In all, the bureau is responsible for with a population of 305,841 as of the U ...
and an officer for the
Pittsburgh Police
The Pittsburgh Police (PBP), officially the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, is the largest law enforcement agency in Western Pennsylvania and the third largest in Pennsylvania. The modern force of salaried and professional officers was founded in ...
. He also owned a bar called Joe McCarthy's Bar and Grill, which Mike spent his Sundays cleaning before church.
McCarthy was raised as a
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
fan.
McCarthy was one of five siblings. He has three sisters, Colleen, Ellen, and Kellie, and a younger brother Joseph McCarthy III (d. 2015). Mike attended St. Rosalia primary school, where he played basketball.
He later made annual donations to the school.
McCarthy attended Bishop Boyle High School.
Playing career
In 1984, McCarthy attended
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale Community College is a public community college in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is on the eastern boundary of the city on 160 acres (650,000 m2) of land belonging to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The lease was taken out i ...
in Arizona, playing one season for the Fighting Artichokes football team.
McCarthy transferred to
Baker University
Baker University is a private university in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it was the first four-year university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Art ...
, an
NAIA school located in
Baldwin City, Kansas
Baldwin City is a city in Douglas County, Kansas, United States, about south of Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,826. The city is home to Baker University, the state's oldest four-year university.
History
...
. He was a two-time all-conference
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
.
In 1986 McCarthy was captain of the team, which finished the season as the national runner-up in
NAIA Division II.
In 1987, McCarthy earned a B.S. in business administration.
Coaching career
College
In 1987, Duane Dirk, the defensive coordinator at
Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public university in Hays, Kansas. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with a total enrollment of approximately 15,100 students.
History
FHSU ...
in Kansas, hired McCarthy as a defensive
graduate assistant
A graduate assistant serves in a support role at a university, usually while completing post-graduate education. The assistant typically helps professors with instructional responsibilities as teaching assistants or with academic research respons ...
(GA). Over the next two years, McCarthy focused on linebackers and defensive ends. During his time as the defensive graduate assistant, McCarthy pursued a master of science degree; he graduated with a M.S. in Sports Administration in 1989.
After serving as a graduate assistant at Fort Hays State from 1987 to 1988, McCarthy returned home to Pittsburgh. On July 30, 1989, McCarthy contacted
Mike Gottfried
Mike Gottfried (born December 17, 1944) is a sportscaster and former American football player and coach.
He served as the head football coach at Murray State University (1978–1980), the University of Cincinnati (1981–1982), the University of ...
, the head coach at the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
, looking for a coaching job, but no positions were available. McCarthy was told to mail his resume. He later showed up at Gottfried's office without an appointment to introduce himself. A couple of days later, one of Gottfried's assistants resigned, and McCarthy was offered a volunteer coach position without pay.
McCarthy later worked under coach
Paul Hackett.
He served as a graduate assistant for three seasons before coaching wide receivers during the 1992 season. Initially, he also worked the night shift on the
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...
as a toll collector during the off-season to supplement his income. McCarthy stated he spent his time in the tollbooth reviewing the University of Pittsburgh playbook.
Kansas City Chiefs
In 1993, McCarthy and Paul Hackett left Pittsburgh and were hired by the NFL's
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
under head coach
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward Schottenheimer (; September 23, 1943 – February 8, 2021) was an American football linebacker and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 2006. He was the head coach of the Kansas City ...
.
McCarthy worked two years as an offensive quality control assistant. As Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy hired six former quality control coaches to serve as his position coaches. In 1993 and 1994, McCarthy worked with Hall of Fame quarterback
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
.
In 1995, McCarthy became quarterbacks coach for the Chiefs, overseeing
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon (born December 20, 1965) is an American former football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years.
Gannon was born in ...
,
Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the ...
, and
Steve Bono
Steven Christopher Bono (born May 11, 1962) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.
Collegiate career
Bono attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he received a degree in sociology. As a B ...
. McCarthy's signal callers threw 52 interceptions — the lowest in the
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The AFC and its counterpart, the National Football Conference ...
(AFC) during the years from 1995 through 1998.
Green Bay Packers
When Schottenheimer resigned from the Chiefs after the 1998 season McCarthy left Kansas City and became the Packers' quarterbacks coach. There he worked with Hall of Famer
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
.
In the 1999 season, while working with McCarthy, Packers quarterback Brett Favre threw for 4,091 yards, the fourth-best total of his career.
While McCarthy was quarterbacks coach, the 1999 Packers team was ranked seventh in passing and ninth in overall offense in the league.
New Orleans Saints
In 2000, McCarthy was hired as the offensive coordinator for the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
.
That year, the Saints achieved a 10–6 regular season record, then
won their first playoff game in the franchise's history and finished 10th overall in offense.
McCarthy was selected as
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference (NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference ...
(NFC) Assistant Coach of the Year by
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
in 2000.
The Saints failed to make the playoffs over the next three years. In 2002 the Saints led the NFC in scoring, with 49 touchdowns and 432 points, but slowed down at the end of the season. In 2003, the Saints scored 340 points—their eighth highest-scoring season ever. All of McCarthy's four years with the Saints rank in the team's top 10 years for offense.
While McCarthy was with the team, the Saints’ offense set 25 individual and 10 team records.
Joe Horn
Joseph Horn (born January 16, 1972) is a former American football wide receiver and current assistant coach at Northeast Mississippi Community College. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft, and also ...
caught 45 touchdowns and 437 passes for 6,289 yards.
During McCarthy's time with the team, running backs
Ricky Williams
Errick Miron (born Errick Lynne Williams Jr.; May 21, 1977) is an American former football running back who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
After playing baseball an ...
and
Deuce McCallister both had a 1,000-yard season.
In his first two years, running back Ricky Williams would run for 2,245 yards with 14 touchdowns. McCarthy stayed with the team for five seasons through 2004.
San Francisco 49ers
In 2005, McCarthy served as offensive coordinator for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
by coach
Mike Nolan
Michael Tullis Nolan (born March 7, 1959) is a former American football coach. Nolan previously served as a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and a defensive coordinator for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, ...
.
His unit had setbacks, including the trade of their most experienced quarterback,
Tim Rattay.
Rattay was replaced by a rookie quarterback,
top draft pick Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
, who was injured in week 7 of the season.
The team finished the season ranked 30th in the NFL in points scored and dead last in yards gained. Despite this, rookie running back
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third ...
would emerge to run for 608 rushing yards on 127 carries with a 4.8 Yards Per Carry (YPC). Wide receiver
Brandon Lloyd
Brandon Matthew Lloyd (born July 5, 1981) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Illinois, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth rou ...
had 733 yards receiving and five touchdowns.
Green Bay Packers
2006–2009
After Mike Sherman took the Packers to a 4-12 record in 2005, the team released him on January 2, 2006 and immediately started interviewing for a replacement. McCarthy was interviewed by Packers general manager
Ted Thompson
Ted Thompson (January 17, 1953 – January 20, 2021) was an American professional football player and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He was the general manager of the Green Bay Packers from 2005 to 2017. Thompson had a 10-y ...
on January 8, 2006, and was offered the head coaching position three days later.
In 2006, the Packers started with a 4–8 record, but the team still managed to win their last four games after both quarterback Brett Favre and backup quarterback
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
sustained injuries, finishing the season 8–8, and ending with a win against their archrival, the Chicago Bears.
McCarthy guided the Packers to an 8–1 record in the first 9 games of the
2007 season, tying Washington's
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs (born November 25, 1940) is an American auto racing team owner and former professional football coach. In football, he was head coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992, and a ...
for the best win–loss ratio to start the first 25 games of a career at 16–9 and passing
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was an American football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). Lombardi is considered by many to be the greatest coach in football history, and he is recognized a ...
, who went 15–10, for the best coaching start in Packers' history. The team finished the regular season with a 13–3 record and obtained the number two seed in the NFC playoffs. McCarthy led the Packers to the
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl-winning
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in overtime.
After the 2007 season, he finished second in voting for
The Associated Press Coach of the Year award, garnering 15 votes to
Bill Belichick
William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
's 29 votes. He signed a five-year contract extension with the team on January 19, 2008, which raised his salary to $3.4 million a year.
The
2008 season was a tumultuous one. Aaron Rodgers, previously the backup, became the starting quarterback when Brett Favre announced his retirement in March. Favre then changed his mind and sought his previous position as the Green Bay quarterback. The organization reiterated its intent to move forward with Rodgers as the new face of the Packers, although Favre was offered the backup position behind Rodgers. Favre refused the offer, and the organization traded him to the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
in exchange for a conditional fourth-round draft pick.
The
2008 season started with a 5–5 record, followed by five consecutive losses. The season ended with a 31–21 victory over the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, bringing the Packers' regular season record to 6–10. The Packers finished third in the NFC North, ahead of only the Lions, and did not make the playoffs. Under McCarthy, quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for over 4,000 yards and posted a 93.8
passer rating
Passer rating (also known as passing efficiency in college football) is a measure of the performance of passers, primarily quarterbacks, in gridiron football. There are two formulas currently in use: one used by both the National Football Leag ...
.
Rodgers improved on his 2008 statistics in
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
, but was sacked 50 times, more than any other quarterback in the NFL. The Packers dominated teams with losing records but were swept by their rival
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
, led by former Packers franchise quarterback
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
. The Packers lost to the previously winless
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
, but then came back to beat the NFC East-leading
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. Under McCarthy's leadership, they then began a five-game winning streak and qualified for the playoffs with a Week 17 win over the
Cardinals
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
, finishing with an 11–5 record.
This was the second playoff berth in McCarthy's tenure. The Packers lost the Wild Card round to the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
in overtime, 51–45.
2010
![Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy - San Francisco vs Green Bay 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Aaron_Rodgers_and_Mike_McCarthy_-_San_Francisco_vs_Green_Bay_2012.jpg)
In
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, the Packers had 25 players on the injured reserve list throughout the season. Running back
Ryan Grant sustained an injury in week one that sidelined him for the rest of the season. McCarthy nonetheless led the Packers to a 10–6 regular season finish, never losing by more than four points and never trailing by more than 7 throughout the entire season. This record earned them second place in the NFC North, behind the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, with whom they split victories in the regular season.
They went into the NFC playoffs as the sixth seed. The Packers defeated the number three-seeded
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
by a 21–16 score in the Wild Card round. They then played the number one-seeded
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, beating them by a convincing margin of 48–21.
The Packers then played the second-seeded Chicago Bears for the third time that season in the
NFC Championship game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
. They won 21–14 and advanced to
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...
. After this game, McCarthy's team had a 3–0 postseason record on the road.
= Super Bowl XLV
=
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...
pitted the Packers against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. This was the first time these two storied franchises had played each other in the postseason.
Ahead of the game, confident in his team's performance, McCarthy had the team fitted for Super Bowl championship rings.
The Packers defeated the Steelers 31–25 to win their fourth
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
and 13th
NFL title overall.
The win returned the Lombardi Trophy to Green Bay for the first time since the team's 1996 season.
2011–2017
The 2011 Packers team was a record-setting one, leading the NFL in points scored and setting a franchise record for wins at 15-1 and consecutive wins. McCarthy's offensive strategies facilitated quarterback Aaron Rodgers' NFL MVP season, as he threw for 4,643 yards and 45 touchdowns, throwing most often to receiver
Jordy Nelson
Jordy Ray Nelson (born May 31, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League for 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played college football at Kansas State, where he ...
.
The Packers' season ended, however, in the NFC Divisional Round, where they played the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. The team had suffered a number of setbacks, including the season-ending neck injury of defensive back
Nick Collins
Nicholas Cordell Collins (born August 16, 1983) is a former American football safety who played seven seasons for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Bethune-Cookman, and was drafted by ...
, and appeared to have suffered, rather than benefited, from the time off, dropping 9 passes in this game.
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
of the Giants attacked the Packers’ weaker defense (ranked 19th in scoring defense) and the Packers lost 37–20.
2012 saw the Packers attain an 11–5 record that ranked them first in the NFC North Division, the first time the Packers had won two consecutive NFC titles since the three they won during the 2002–2004 seasons. McCarthy's offensive strategies led to the Packers scoring 433 points, with Aaron Rodgers passing for 4,295 yards. The 2012 postseason was the 28th time the franchise had secured a playoff berth. After beating the Vikings in the first round they lost to the 49ers in the Divisional round by a score of 45-31.
In 2013 McCarthy led the 2013 Packers to a regular season record of 8–7–1 and the NFC North title, the third consecutive division win. That year, McCarthy took his team to their fifth straight playoff appearance. During the summer of 2014, the village board of Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin voted to rename Potts Avenue “Mike McCarthy Way.”
In 2014 McCarthy guided the Packers to their fourth consecutive NFC North title with a 12–4 record during the regular season. The team ranked sixth in the NFL in total offense, with an average of 386 yards per game, and first in points scored, with an average of 30.4 points per game. In receiving yards, Jordy Nelson led the team with 1,519 yards. Aaron Rodgers threw for 4,381 yards and
Eddie Lacy
Edward Darwin Lacy Jr. (born June 2, 1990) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Alabama, where he was a member of three BCS National Championship teams in the 2009, 2011, and 2012 seasons. He was drafted by t ...
recorded 1,139 rushing yards.
In November 2014, McCarthy signed a contract extension through 2018. With a victory over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
in week 16 of the 2014 season, McCarthy notched his 99th win, passing Hall of Famer
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was an American football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). Lombardi is considered by many to be the greatest coach in football history, and he is recognized a ...
(98) for second on the Packers' all-time wins list, behind only Hall of Famer
Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau (April 9, 1898 – June 1, 1965) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Lambeau, along with his friend and fellow Green Bay, Wisconsin native George Whitney Calho ...
(212).
The Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs, but then, in the NFC Championship game against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, the Packers collapsed, despite holding a 16–0 lead at halftime and a 19–7 lead in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, going on to lose the game 22–28 in overtime. McCarthy was criticized after making several questionable play calls during this loss. At the start of the game, he went for two field goals at the 1 yard line, and was criticized for "not going for it". During the last five minutes of the game, McCarthy called three run plays to
Eddie Lacy
Edward Darwin Lacy Jr. (born June 2, 1990) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Alabama, where he was a member of three BCS National Championship teams in the 2009, 2011, and 2012 seasons. He was drafted by t ...
with 3:52 minutes left, and the Packers punted on fourth down; critics slammed McCarthy for "not giving
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
a chance" to win the game. A day after the loss, McCarthy stated that he is "not questioning his play-calling", as well as stating that he "came to run the ball".
Others defended him; in March 2015, at the annual owners' meetings, Bill Belichick stated that McCarthy is "one of the best coaches I've ever gone up against."
Notwithstanding his rejection of the criticism of his heavily run-dependent strategy McCarthy relinquished play calling duties to long-time assistant
Tom Clements
Thomas Albert Clements (born June 18, 1953) is an American football coach and a former Canadian Football League (CFL) quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He also served as a ...
in February 2015.
While the Packers made the playoffs for the seventh consecutive time after the 2015 season, the team struggled with a languishing running game. In December, McCarthy once again took over play calling responsibilities. After he did so, the Packers recorded a 28–7 victory over the Cowboys, running the ball for 230 yards.
The 2016 season made Mike McCarthy the fourth head coach in the history of the NFL to take his team to eight-plus consecutive playoff appearances. In the postseason, McCarthy's Packers won the wild card game against the Giants (38–13) and then the NFC Divisional Playoff against the Cowboys (34–31). The team lost to the Atlanta Falcons at the NFC Championship (44–21).
McCarthy's 2017 team started the season with a 4–1 record, but was later hamstrung by an injury to Rodgers, who sustained a collarbone injury in week 6 versus Minnesota. Afterwards, backup quarterback
Brett Hundley
Brett Alan Hundley Jr. (born June 15, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, where he was the school's career leader in both total ...
made his first career start. With only a backup quarterback to work with, McCarthy failed to clinch a postseason appearance in 2017.
2018
On January 2, 2018, it was announced that McCarthy had signed a one-year contract extension with the Green Bay Packers.
On December 2, 2018, after a 20–17 loss to the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
, McCarthy was released by the Packers after 13 seasons as the head coach. He finished his tenure with the Packers with a regular-season record and a post-season record for a combined record of . McCarthy led the team to nine playoff appearances and a Super Bowl win.
The timing of the personnel decision caught McCarthy by surprise, as he noted in an interview with ESPN.com. McCarthy said: “Time provides the opportunity for reflection and clarity and that's where I'm at now. And it's clear to me now that both sides needed a change.”
2019 Hiatus
After McCarthy was released as Packers head coach, he expressed plans to interview with the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
and the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. The
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
expressed interest, but he declined to proceed with an interview.
McCarthy's interview with the Browns was initially scheduled for Thursday, January 3, before being moved to a week later. The Browns offered McCarthy the head coach position, but he declined it, because it would have required him to retain
Freddie Kitchens
Charles Frederick Kitchens Jr. (born November 29, 1974) is an American football coach who is a senior analyst for South Carolina. He was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns and an assistant coach for the Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, New ...
as offensive coordinator. The Browns hired Kitchens instead.
McCarthy interviewed with the Jets on January 5, 2019.
The Jets also interviewed Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator
Eric Bieniemy
Eric M. Bieniemy Jr. (born August 15, 1969) is an American football coach and former running back who is the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes and was recognized as a consens ...
and former Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase.
The Jets proceeded to hire
Adam Gase
Adam Joseph Gase (born March 29, 1978) is a former American football coach in the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2013 to 2014, whose offense set the NFL record for p ...
.
On January 9, 2019, McCarthy announced that he intended to sit out the 2019 season and return for 2020. McCarthy spent time improving his football knowledge and strategies. In collaboration with fellow coaches such as
Jim Haslett
James Donald Haslett (born December 9, 1955) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks before being drafted by the Buff ...
,
Frank Cignetti Jr. and
Scott McCurley, McCarthy studied league playbooks, league trends, and analytics, with the intention of returning to the NFL. He said that his “McCarthy Project” made him “definitely a better coach.”
Dallas Cowboys
2020-2021
After Head Coach
Jason Garrett
Jason Calvin Garrett (born March 28, 1966) is a former American football player and coach and current broadcaster. He previously served as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for the 2010s from 2010-2019. Garrett has also been offensive coordi ...
parted ways with the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy interviewed for the job. The interview for the vacant head coach position took place over 12 hours. McCarthy interviewed with
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
owner
Jerry Jones
Jerral Wayne Jones (born October 13, 1942) is an American businessman who has been the owner, president, and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) since February 1989.
Early life
Jones was born in Los Ange ...
, executive vice president Stephen Jones, and chief sales and marketing officer Jerry Jones Jr.
On January 7, 2020, McCarthy was announced as the Cowboys' new head coach.
McCarthy, who spent his season off watching game film and learning about analytics with fellow coaches, told Jones during the interview that he watched every play of the 2019 season. During his introductory press conference to announce his hiring, McCarthy said: “I need to confess: I told Jerry I watched every play of the 2019 season. I wanted the job. You do what you gotta do right?”
McCarthy is the Cowboys' ninth head coach since the organization was founded in 1960. On September 13, 2020, McCarthy lost his debut as the head coach of the Cowboys against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
by a score of 20–17. On September 20, 2020, McCarthy received his first win as the Cowboys' head coach in a 40–39 comeback win against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
.
The Cowboys finished the 2020 season with a 6–10 record, placing third in the NFC East. After losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a broken ankle early in the season (October 11), the Cowboys still remained in playoff contention in a weak conference for most of the season. The team struggled defensively, allowing 473 points, which was the Cowboys' worst-ever defensive showing. After the season, the Cowboys released defensive coordinator
Mike Nolan
Michael Tullis Nolan (born March 7, 1959) is a former American football coach. Nolan previously served as a head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and a defensive coordinator for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, ...
, along with defensive line coach
Jim Tomsula
James Andrew Tomsula (born April 14, 1968) is an American football coach and head coach of the Rhein Fire of the European League of Football. Serving as a defensive coach throughout his career, Tomsula has also been the head coach for the Rhein F ...
.
2021-2022
McCarthy was fined $50,000 by the NFL on July 1, 2021, for violating practice rules during organized team activities. As a result of the fine, McCarthy said in a statement the majority of the 7 to 9 plays the NFL discussed with him involved younger players.
From July through September 2021, McCarthy and the Cowboys were featured on the HBO sports documentary ''
Hard Knocks''. The experience, which McCarthy called “a good one,” involved a large camera crew filming the entirety of Cowboys training camp.
For the
2021 season, McCarthy guided the team to a 12-5 record and division title, including sweeping the entire
NFC East
The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys ...
for the first time since 1998. After a week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos, McCarthy displayed a can of Anti-Monkey Butt powder in a presentation to the team. He informed the Cowboys that although the prior week’s loss had been a “Red Ass Week,” McCarthy was confident his team would stage a comeback. McCarthy missed the December 2nd game against the New Orleans Saints after testing positive for
COVID 19 and being placed in COVID protocols for 10 days. The Cowboys were upset at home by the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
in the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
in the Wild Card round. The game ended with the clock running out on the Cowboys following a
quarterback draw A draw play, or simply draw for short, is a type of American football play. The draw is a running play disguised as a passing play. It is the opposite of a play-action pass, which is a passing play disguised as a running play. The play is often used ...
as they attempted to spike the ball to stop the clock to permit a final pass play.
McCarthy was particularly criticized for his decision to use a quarterback draw with 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter, instead of going for two or more passes from further out. McCarthy defended his decision, explaining that he was hoping to get another, easier play in after coming closer to the end zone and that he thought that 14 seconds was sufficient to allow his team to do this.
2022-2023
Before the 2022 season, McCarthy was fined $100,000 by the NFL for violating offseason practice rules. McCarthy canceled a preseason practice instead holding a team bonding golf event.
For the
2022 season, McCarthy led the Cowboys to a 12-5 record, tying the 2021 season record and placing second in the NFC East. In game 1 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback
Dak Prescott
Rayne Dakota Prescott (born July 29, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Mississippi State, where he twice received first-team All- SEC honors, a ...
suffered a thumb fracture that required surgery and absence from the team until Week 7.
McCarthy replaced him with backup quarterback
Cooper Rush
Cooper Robert Rush (born November 21, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Central Michigan, and was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free ag ...
who went 4-1 over the next five games.
McCarthy dealt with other injuries from key players including safety Jayron Kearse and left tackle Tyron Smith. Before a week 9 game against the Packers, McCarthy got emotional about a return to Green Bay. He also said he was looking forward to seeing Aaron Rodgers. McCarthy led the Cowboys to a 31-14 victory in the Wild Card game versus the Buccaneers, which according to Tom Brady would be the last game of his career. McCarthy's season ended following the Cowboys’ loss to the 49ers in the Divisional round.
In January 2023, McCarthy announced that the Cowboys would be parting ways with offensive coordinator
Kellen Moore
Kellen Christopher Moore (born July 5, 1988) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played six seasons in the NFL for the ...
. He also parted ways with six other coaches. In February 2023, team owner Jerry Jones stated that McCarthy would call plays during the following season. McCarthy hired new coaching staff, including assistant offensive line coach Ramon Chinyoung and offensive coordinator
Brian Schottenheimer
Brian Cornelius Schottenheimer (born October 16, 1973) is an American football coach who is currently a coaching analyst for the Dallas Cowboys. Schottenheimer most recently served as the Offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator and quar ...
.
Awards
In 2007, McCarthy was voted the Motorola NFL Coach of the Year after twice receiving Coach of the Week awards. He was also named the NFL Alumni's Coach of the Year by a group of former players.
In 2008, McCarthy received the distinguished service award at the
Lee Remmel sports awards banquet in Green Bay. McCarthy was selected as
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference (NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference ...
(NFC) Assistant Coach of the Year by
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
in 2000.
Personal life
In 1995, McCarthy and his high school sweetheart, Christine, amicably divorced. On March 15, 2008, Mike and Jessica McCarthy were married. The couple has five children between them; two sons from Jessica's previous marriage, a daughter from McCarthy's previous marriage and two daughters together.
McCarthy and his wife Jessica have a history of giving back to communities and people in need. The couple were involved with the Seven Loaves Project in
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
. They founded the McCarthy Family Foundation, a charitable nonprofit. The McCarthy Family Foundation has donated frequently to the American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. McCarthy hosts an annual golf tournament to benefit the hospital, and his foundation's fundraising was integral for the building of the hospital's Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The Foundation has donated to the MVP Foundation which brings together combat veterans and former professional athletes as they transition to a new life off the field.
The foundation has also donated $100,000 (which the Green Bay Packers matched) to the Green Bay Police Foundation. The funds were used to purchase protective equipment for police officers in the area. The money was also spent on outreach programs intended to build community relations, and on bias prevention training for the officers.
On February 26, 2019, McCarthy was accused of berating three high school basketball referees after his stepsons playoff game. McCarthy went on a "verbal tirade" while following the officials to their locker room. McCarthy apologized to the school's athletic department the next day.
Head coaching record
References
External links
Dallas Cowboys bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCarthy, Mike
1963 births
Living people
American football tight ends
Baker Wildcats football players
Dallas Cowboys head coaches
Fort Hays State Tigers football coaches
Green Bay Packers coaches
Green Bay Packers head coaches
Kansas City Chiefs coaches
New Orleans Saints coaches
Pittsburgh Panthers football coaches
San Francisco 49ers coaches
Super Bowl-winning head coaches
Sportspeople from Pittsburgh
Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania
Players of American football from Pittsburgh