The Green Bay Packers fired head coach Mike McCarthy following the team's 20-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin will assume the role of interim head coach for the remainder of the 2018 season.
"The 2018 season has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers. As a result, I made the difficult decision to relieve Mike McCarthy of his role as head coach, effective immediately,” Packers president and chief executive officer Mark Murphy said in a statement. "Mike has been a terrific head coach and leader of the Packers for 13 seasons, during which time we experienced a great deal of success on and off the field. We want to thank Mike, his wife, Jessica, and the rest of the McCarthy family for all that they have done for the Packers and the Green Bay and Wisconsin communities. We will immediately begin the process of selecting the next head coach of the Green Bay Packers."
McCarthy's departure comes after he led the Packers to a 11-16-1 record over the last two seasons. Aside from McCarthy's recent struggles as head coach, Green Bay still managed to make two NFC Championship Game appearances over the previous five years. The main criticism that can be made against him is that he was never able to replicate his success he had in 2011 when he defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers to win Super Bowl XLV, despite having one of, if not, the best quarterback in the league in Aaron Rodgers.
If McCarthy wants to continue being an NFL head coach, it shouldn't be difficult for him to land his next opportunity. As for the Packers, the chance to coach a team with Rodgers at the helm is a dream come true for any coaching candidate. Hopefully, that next person doesn't have to deal with the same injury-laden rosters that became his undoing.
