Mike McCarthy makes surprising decision in relation to Saints coaching search

Mike McCarthy will not be the next coach of the New Orleans Saints.

The former Dallas Cowboys coach decided he will not coach next season and instead will focus on the 2026 hiring cycle, according to a report from the NFL Network.

McCarthy’s decision to remove himself from the process is another blow to the Saints’ coaching search, which has seen several candidates withdraw from the process or accept another job.

Last week, former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn became the New York Jets’ next coach before the Saints could host an in-person interview with him. Then, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady decided to stay with his team and turned down the opportunity to interview in-person with New Orleans.

And they weren’t the only two. In addition to McCarthy — one of the presumed frontrunners for the position — Kliff Kingsbury also turned down an interview request and decided to stay with the Washington Commanders for another year.

The Saints have talked to, or requested to talk to, eight candidates for the position. Four of them pulled themselves out of the running before the Saints made a final decision.

The remaining candidates appear to be Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

If the Saints want to hire Moore, they’ll have to wait until after the Super Bowl concludes on Feb. 9. The team interviewed the 36-year-old in Philadelphia late Monday.

McCarthy’s decision to focus on the 2026 coaching cycle comes as a surprise. After not agreeing on a contract with the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy was thought to be one of the favorites for the Saints’ position given his experience and connection to the franchise.

McCarthy previously served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2000 through 2004. But an interview between the coach and the Saints never happened. It was expected to happen last week, but was delayed because of a snowstorm in the area. Then reports emerged that it would be scheduled this week, only for a date to not be finalized.

Now, it won’t happen at all as McCarthy won’t coach in 2025.