Amid contract negotiations, free agents, and other NFL drama a big part of the Cowboys “rebuild” may have been overlooked by some.
Mike McCarthy came to Dallas and completely overhauled almost the entire coaching staff.
There are going be a lot of new faces on the sidelines this season, so we are going to take a chance to get to know them.
Head Coach // Mike McCarthy
First up, a name many fans should already know is head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy, who is the former head coach of Green Bay, began his NFL career in 1993 with the Chiefs as an offensive quality control assistant and later became the quarterbacks coach.
In 1998 McCarthy left Kansas City and took a quarterback coach position with the Packers. In 1999 Brett Favre threw for 4,091 yards under McCarthy. After 1999 Green Bay released their entire coaching staff and McCarthy moved to New Orleans, becoming the Saints offensive coordinator.
During his five seasons in New Orleans, McCarthy was named as an NFC Assistant Coach of the Year. The Saints offense excelled under McCarthy, finishing several seasons among the top teams of points scored the NFL. Running Back Ricky Williams also ran for 2,245 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons under McCarthy, good news for Zeke.
In 2005 McCarthy left New Orleans and took the offensive coordinator position in San Francisco. His 1 year tenure here was not as successful, and in 2006 he became head coach of the Packers. At Green Bay McCarthy’s team won 1 Super Bowl and finished first in the division 6 times.
Defensive Coordinator // Mike Nolan
The next new name added to the Cowboys staff is defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Nolan began his pro coaching career in 1987 with the Broncos as a special teams coach, and was later promoted to linebacker coach in 1989.
After leaving Denver, Nolan moved around the NFL for 7 years, serving as the defensive coordinator for the Giants, Redskins, Jets, and Ravens. In 2005, Nolan became the head coach and general manager for the 49ers. His tenure in San Francisco did not go too well though. The team failed to meet expectations and in 2008 Nolan was fired.
In 2009, Nolan returned to Denver as the defensive coordinator. Under Nolan, the Broncos defense allowed the fewest points in the NFL in their first 6 games. The team ended up missing the playoffs. In 2010, Nolan resigned from Denver.
After leaving Denver, Nolan again travelled around the league holding the defensive coordinator position in Miami and Atlanta. He was also the linebackers coach for the Chargers and Saints.
With the Saints Sports Illustrated called Nolan a “defensive guru” due to his vast experience and his ability to use both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive alignments.
Offensive Line and Assistant Head Coach // Joe Philbin
Another name added to the Cowboys new staff is offensive line and assistant head coach Joe Philbin. Philbin began his pro career in Green Bay and was named offensive coordinator in 2007. Under Philbin, the Packers were consistently top 10 in the NFL for points scored and total yards. They also won a Super Bowl in 2010.
In 2012, Philbin joined the Dolphins as their head coach. He struggled in Miami with a team record of 24-28. Although his offense did improve from 27th overall in the league to 11th. After three years Philbin was fired.
In 2016, the Colts hired Philbin as their offensive line and assistant head coach. He stayed in Indianapolis for two seasons and then returned to Green Bay in 2018 as offensive coordinator under McCarthy.
After the firing of McCarthy Philbin became the Packers interim head coach, but was released at the end of the 2018 season.
Defensive Line Coach // Jim Tomsula
Jim Tomsula is the new defensive line coach for Dallas. Tomsula actually began his NFL career with the NFL Europe, a league backed by the NFL that operated from 1991 to 2007, in 1998 where he was the defensive line coach of the England Monarchs and then the Scottish Claymores. He later became defensive coordinator for the Berlin Thunder in 2004 and then head coach of the Rhein Fire in 2006.
Photo: —In 2007, Tomsula was hired as the defensive line coach for the 49ers. He remained in San Francisco until 2014 and was named interim head coach during the 2010 season. In 2015, Tomsula was named head coach after Jim Harbaugh.
During his one season as head coach in San Francisco, the team was one of the worst in franchise history. They only scored 238 points and finished with a record of 5-11. Tomsula was fired in 2016.
In 2017, the Redskins hired Tomsula as their defensive line coach, where he was instrumental in greatly improving younger players. After the coaching change in Washington Tomsula left.
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