Mike McCarthy is one of the more attractive head coaching candidates since being fired by the Green Bay Packers earlier this month. And now a new team is showing interest in the Super Bowl-winning head coach.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the New York Jets are considering hiring McCarthy. Right now, Todd Bowles is the Jets head coach, but it’s expected he will be fired on Monday after the Jets take on the New England Patriots.
“They’ve done their research on ex-Packers coach,” Breer wrote. “And even though there might some question about fit in the New York market, my expectation is that McCarthy will be under consideration there next week.”
The report of the Jets showing interest in McCarthy comes on the heels of the Peter King of NBC Sports reporting McCarthy is interested in the Arizona Cardinals job. So it looks like McCarthy will have a few teams interested in him once the season ends.
It’s also possible McCarthy takes the year off. Shortly after the Packers let McCarthy go, he told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com that he plans to “lay low and try to finish this professional chapter on the high road.” A source told Demovsky that McCarthy was debating whether to take the year off and remain in Green Bay or take another head-coaching job. McCarthy signed a one-year contract extension with the Packers back in January.
McCarthy posted a career 125-77-2 record in the regular season. He has the second-most regular season wins in team history, only behind Curly Lambeau who finished with 209. McCarthy also has a postseason record of 10-8. His playoff wins are the most in team history, surpassing Vince Lombardi who had a 9-1 record. Out of the 14 head coaches in Packers history, McCarthy is one of five head coaches who have winning records with other four being Lambeau, Lombardi, Mike Holmgren and Mike Sherman.
After McCarthy was notified he’s no longer the Packers head coach, he took out a full-page ad in the network of Gannett Newspapers in Wisconson to show his appreciation for all the Packers fans who supported him.
“It’s hard to articulate the impact this job had on me and my family,” McCarthy said in the ad, via PackersNews.com. “From the beginning, Green Bay has welcomed me with open arms. I met my beautiful wife Jessica here and raised our family of 5 children who will always call Green Bay home. Thank you for the immense outpouring of love our family received this week and throughout our time here. This speaks to the quality of folks in the State of Wisconsin. Coach Lombardi said it best. ‘Green Bay is all about Faith, Family and Football.’”
In the meantime, the Packers are currently looking for a new head coach. This week, it was reported the team has interviewed former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell and former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano.
