Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy is dedicated to creating a lasting, positive impact on communities. Through the McCarthy Family Foundation, Mike and his wife Jessica work to support nonprofits by drawing on the values that have defined professional success for them. Their children, Alex, Jack, George, Gabrielle, and Isabella are also active in the Foundation.

Before he became Coach McCarthy, Mike learned to keep his head down and work hard while growing up in Pittsburgh. He also learned about teamwork as he developed a love for sports – especially American football. Mike played the game as a tight end at Scottsdale Community College and later at Baker University, an NAIA school in Kansas. The work ethic and humility he learned from his parents served him well as he began his coaching career at Fort Hays State and the University of Pittsburgh. McCarthy served as an (initially unpaid) assistant coach at Pitt for head coaches Mike Gottfried and Paul Hackett. There, he also worked nights in a tollbooth on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, studying the playbook between cars.

Mike broke into the NFL in 1993. Marty Schottenheimer brought him in as a quality control assistant with the Chiefs. In Kansas City, he worked with Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana. It began a run of collaboration with outstanding signal-callers that continued when he moved to Green Bay. As the Packers’ quarterback coach, McCarthy helped Brett Favre achieve a 4000-yard season in 1999. 

Coach’s career took a leap forward the next season in New Orleans. He earned the NFC Assistant Coach of the Year award in his first season as an offensive coordinator (OC). That year, the Saints earned the first playoff win in franchise history. The coach went on to facilitate offensive success for New Orleans during five seasons. Mike also served as the OC for the San Francisco 49ers before returning to Green Bay in 2006.

As the Packers’ head coach, Mike McCarthy made a substantial impact on and off the field. His contract included regular donations to his former elementary school in Pittsburgh. As Mike and Jessica put down roots in the Midwest, the couple gave their support to the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, and the Green Bay Police Foundation.

He created a legacy on the field as well. Mike helped Aaron Rodgers become a top quarterback, reached the postseason in eight consecutive seasons, and earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2007. And though he had grown up cheering for his hometown Steelers, the coach led his Packers to a win against Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.

In 2020, after 13 seasons in Green Bay, Mike returned to DFW to take the helm as the Dallas Cowboys head coach. He would once again have the opportunity to work with a star quarterback in Dak Prescott. In his second season with Dallas, Coach Mike McCarthy led the legendary franchise to an NFC East division title and playoff berth.

The McCarthy Family Foundation aims to build on what Mike and his family have collectively accomplished on and off the gridiron. In all that he does, Mike McCarthy strives to make a difference in the lives of those in need.