Dan Quinn seeing happier, more joyful Mike McCarthy this offseason

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has some extra pep in his step and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has noticed. As McCarthy prepares to call the Dallas offense for the first time in his three-year tenure, Quinn sees his boss emanating joy.

“It’s really cool to see Mike in that role,” Quinn said this week, via Jon Machota. “It looks, from my opinion, like he’s having a blast. Sometimes as a head coach, when you’re not the play-caller and you are yearning for it, I’ve seen that with him, the energy he has for it. He sets the whole menu and the table for us and we’re having a good offseason.

“But him specifically, I’ve felt some happiness and some joy for him going out there and you can see his competitive juices going. We’ll have some good battles (at training camp). I’ve coached against Mike for a long time, he’s one of the very best. Hopefully we have a lot of fun out in California.”

Having Quinn, a former head coach himself, as his defensive coordinator, allows McCarthy to focus almost all of his attention on the offense that the team is calling the “Texas Coast” offense.

Taking over play-calling and sending Kellen Moore packing after a couple of very strong seasons on offense initially felt like a desperation move by McCarthy but the Cowboys skipper seems to be as comfortable and in the groove as ever.

McCarthy, Dak Prescott smoothing out communication

Speaking to reporters after an OTA practice, Dak Prescott opened up about what it’s like having McCarthy, not Kellen Moore, in his ear calling plays.

“You hear that accent a little bit more when he’s calling these plays,” Prescott said, via Dallas Morning News. “He called one out there today and I looked back and I go, ‘Was it the right one?’ Yeah, it was. It’s just that his accent was tough to hear.

“No, it’s been fun being able to work with him in that light, everyday hands-on. It’s exciting. It’s refreshing. I know he’s enjoying it, getting back into football, head first into the film and what we’re doing. It’s exciting, for sure.”

As the Cowboys continue through the preseason, McCarthy is keeping the communication lines with Prescott wide open.

“As we broke practice [today], he said, ‘Go look at everything we put in and make sure we’re running the things you like and the things we’re good at. If it’s something you’re a little iffy about, let’s get it out. Let’s master what we’re great at,’” Prescott said. “Just having that clear communication, being able to work with him day in and day out, it’s new. It’s refreshing. It’s fun for both of us.”