ARLINGTON, Texas — Mike McCarthy says he ‘’absolutely’' wants to return as the coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Jerry Jones has dropped multiple hints that McCarthy would be back, but the team owner was far from definitive about McCarthy's future after a 23-19 loss to Washington on Sunday closed out a 7-10 season.
''Mike's one of the best coaches that I think there is. He was made to coach here. He's done absolutely nothing to diminish my opinion of him as a coach,'' Jones said, later adding that ''I don't know that I am considering making a change.''
Jones said, however, that he hasn't decided about a deal to extend the coach.
''That's what the next few days and weeks are about now,'' he said.
McCarthy was on an expiring contract after five seasons, including going 12-5 and to the playoffs in each of the previous three years. The Cowboys were already out of playoff contention before the finale against the Commanders. They still haven't been past the divisional round of the playoffs since the last of their Super Bowl seasons in the mid-1990s.
''I have a lot of confidence in myself as a head coach. But, you know, I think like anything, body of work and all of the statistics, I think it's more about the program, the details of what needs to be done, how can we get better,'' McCarthy said. ''All those things go into these decisions of whether you originally get the job or continuing to move forward. So I'm definitely in position with Jerry to move forward. I mean, there's no question about that in my mind.''
McCarthy said he and Jones hadn't yet talked about what happens next, and would be getting together ''in the near future.''
