Adam Schefter: Mike McCarthy ‘makes a lot of sense’ for New Orleans Saints head coaching vacancy

Adam Schefter believes Mike McCarthy is firmly in the mix for the vacant New Orleans Saints coaching gig, following his unceremonious departure from the Dallas Cowboys.

The ESPN analyst joined The Pat McAfee Show on Friday, where he elaborated on New Orleans’ opening. While there’s a bevy of coordinators competing for the gig, Schefter believes McCarthy “makes a ton of sense” for the Saints, although there’s no guarantee he’d be chosen for the job.

“I think today they have Anthony Weaver in. Tomorrow, they have Mike Kafka, the Giants offensive coordinator in. Then, next week, I think you have to see how these playoff games play out this weekend. Kliff Kingsbury, the Commanders’ OC. Kellen Moore, the Eagles’ OC. Joe Brady, the Bills’ OC. All have been linked to them. I don’t even remember which ones virtually interviewed with the Saints to begin with. They’re all in play, and Mike McCarthy is in play,” Schefter noted.

“I know you’re looking for an answer. And there’s, there’s a lot of different guys in that mix right now. I think Mike McCarthy makes a lot of sense there. He’s got deep ties and connections to the organization. We’ll see ultimately if he’s the guy. But I think there are some other guys that are interesting to this organization, and I don’t think they’re there just yet. … [McCarthy] has worked [with] and knows some of those guys. I’m pretty sure he worked in New Orleans, and knows some of the people there.”

All told, it’s easy to see why a team would be interested in McCarthy, who has a record of 174-112-2 all-time. In the postseason, his record is at 11-11. That includes his time with the Green Bay Packers and with the Dallas Cowboys and it makes him the 12th winningest coach all-time in the regular season and puts him in a tie for 11th in the postseason. 

Going back to his time with the Packers, McCarthy did win a Super Bowl and found success in the NFC North, winning that division six times. He also won the NFC East twice while with Dallas.

As the New Orleans Saints narrow down their search, it’s easy to pinpoint Mike McCarthy as one of the more qualified candidates. Time will tell if he’s chosen to lead the franchise into a new era, but it’s certainly a situation to keep an eye on moving forward.