In most years, they left the Dallas Cowboys richer — but also worse for wear when it came to the NFL’s appetite for their next head coaching job. Chan Gailey. Dave Campo. Wade Phillips. Even Jason Garrett.

The Dallas Cowboys had to make one of the hardest decisions of Jerry Jones' ownership when they decided not to renew McCarthy's contract before Tuesday's deadline.  This was the right move, regardless of McCarthy's pedigree and success in the NFL-- even in Dallas.

By keeping McCarthy dangling for over a week, the Cowboys are a week behind other teams searching for a coach.

The Dallas Cowboys and coach Mike McCarthy parting ways on Monday came as somewhat of a surprise given team owner and general manager Jerry Jones' final words about McCarthy at the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.

On the latest episode of the "Scoop City" podcast, why the Cowboys did McCarthy wrong and where they go from here.

The Mike McCarthy era is over in Dallas. McCarthy will not return as the Cowboys HC for the 2025 season as the two sides could not come to terms on an agreement on the length of a new contract, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Monday.

DALLAS (AP) — Mike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who are going on three decades since their last Super Bowl title, owner Jerry Jones said in a statement Monday. Jones said the organization and McCarthy mutually agreed to part ways. The team’s search for its next coach begins immediately, he says.

Jerry Jones was not expecting Mike McCarthy to walk away from the Dallas Cowboys. On Tuesday, NFL Network reporter Jane Slater reported Jones was expecting to continue discussions on a contract with McCarthy when the veteran head coach decided to walk away.