Dallas Cowboys to retain Mike McCarthy as head coach - ESPN

FRISCO, Texas — Mike McCarthy will be back for a fifth season as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, it was announced Wednesday.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones met with McCarthy on Wednesday, after the coach had finished exit interviews with the players.

«I believe this team is very close and capable of achieving our ultimate goals and the best step forward for us will be with Mike McCarthy as our head coach,» Jones said in a statement released by the team. «There is great benefit to continuing the team's progress under Mike's leadership as our head coach.»

The Cowboys are coming off a wild-card loss to the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium that left Jones «floored.» After the regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders, Jones praised McCarthy but also said, «we'll see how each game goes,» when asked about the coach's future.

All of that led to speculation that Jones could replace McCarthy.

«Our loss on Sunday is shared by everyone here, not just Coach McCarthy,» Jones said in Wednesday's statement. «Our players. Our coaches. Our front office. Myself. There is accountability for our results. I am accountable for our results. The lens we use to view and evaluate Coach McCarthy is holistic. While we're all disappointed with the result on Sunday and with our playoff record, I am 100 percent supportive of him as our head coach and ability to reach our goals.»

McCarthy has posted a 42-25 regular-season record with NFC East titles in 2021 and 2023. The Cowboys became the first team in the Super Bowl era to win 12 games in three straight seasons but not advance to at least a conference title game in that span.

McCarthy has a 1-3 postseason record in Dallas, with home losses to the San Francisco 49ers and