What will new Cowboys OC do if Mike McCarthy calls plays?

Dallas Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones confirmed Wednesday that Mike McCarthy will be the franchise’s first head coach to call plays since Jason Garrett in 2012. 

During my most recent post this week, I touched on things that these coaching changes could bring, positive or negative. I touched on the possibility of McCarthy calling his own plays, which is a huge red flag.

McCarthy did this near the end of his tenure with the Green Bay Packers. 

Before diving into what the new offensive coordinator might do, I want to touch on how I feel about this move.

I flat-out do not like it.

McCarthy’s offense is typically West Coast, with many slants and quick passes. How the offense is currently constructed it could work, but I will hold further comments until we see it in action. 

So with the head man calling plays, at least for now, the Cowboys still plan to hire an offensive coordinator. So, what will he do if he isn’t calling plays? 

I know a lot about football, but I had to research to find what a coordinator does with the title who doesn’t call the plays. I found a few pieces written about coaches who indeed have the title but use it for other things. 

Many I found said they meet with the starting quarterbacks after every drive and pass along suggestions to the head coach to help them with in-game adjustments.

We also must remember that being an offensive coordinator is more than just a job on Monday, Thursday, or Sunday.

They have to prep the offense to be ready for game day.

The head coach may be calling the plays, but the man with the coordinator title can help design those plays, help construct the offensive game plan, and serve as an extra body to help fill other roles for the offense.

As noted, the next offensive coordinator for the Cowboys won’t call the plays but should still serve an essential role within the offense.

Who might it be? Dallas has already had some movement on bringing in coaches to take this role. 

Below are a few names to pay close attention to.