Major NFL Coaching News Has Big Impact on Cowboys' Mike McCarthy Situation

On Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest NFL head coach of all time, decided to end his pursuit of trying to get back into the NFL and made the inconceivable decision to join the college ranks taking a head coaching position with the University of North Carolina.

The news of Belichick abandoning his dream of once again coaching in the NFL and getting a chance to redeem himself after a disappointing end to his tenure in New England is shocking, to say the least. It could be argued that Belichick pulled the trigger too soon and could have waited until the end of the season when a new hiring cycle would begin, when many teams, potentially including the Dallas Cowboys, would be in need of a new head coach.

When it was announced that Belichick would be ending his 23-year tenure with the Patriots, Cowboy fans were optimistic about the possibility of Belichick coming to Dallas. Many fans were hoping Belichick would close out his career in Dallas and help re-establish the team's culture, similar to what Belichick's mentor, Bill Parcells, did for the Cowboys at the end of his career.  

All hopes of Belichick joining the Cowboys were put to bed, however, when it was announced he would be taking over the Tar Heels program. With Belichick out of the picture, this does give the Cowboys front office and their fans a clearer idea of who may take the reins of the team if Mike McCarthy is not brought back after this season.

However, it appears that McCarthy's fate remains undecided. While just a few weeks ago, it seemed clear that McCarthy's time in Dallas was nearing an end, and he would not be brought back after this disappointing season concluded. However, after the Cowboys strung a couple of wins together and several prominent members of the Cowboys organization, including Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons vocalized their faith in McCarthy and willingness to give him another shot, it seems that Jerry Jones's hands are currently tied on what to do with his head coach.

Belichick's decision to join the NCAA may have increased McCarthy’s chances of remaining in Dallas. With Belichick off the table and Coach Prime, who was earlier this season rumored to be interested in the Cowboys' head coaching job, appearing to be staying in Colorado, the list of ideal candidates for the Cowboys has gotten drastically slimmer. 

While Belichick taking over the Cowboys was likely never a realistic possibility due to his and Jerry Jones's clashing personalities, it was fun to imagine the greatest coach of this era being in Dallas. With Belichick out of the picture, these next few weeks will be imperative for McCarthy and the Cowboys in making the decision on whether or not Jones will be willing to give McCarthy another shot at the helm. 

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