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Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn both are expected to return to the franchise next season. League sources told ESPN, USA Today Sports and the Dallas Morning News on Thursday that McCarthy received assurance that he will be back in 2022. At some point since the season concluded, team brass informed McCarthy that he will remain coach despite the Cowboys' wild-card exit earlier this month.
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To this point, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has declined to publicly commit to bringing back McCarthy after Dallas' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 16.
With head coach Sean Payton stepping away from the New Orleans Saints this week, McCarthy's status with the Cowboys was called into question given Jones' admiration for Payton, who was a former Dallas assistant coach under Bill Parcells.
Payton said Tuesday that he doesn't plan to coach another NFL team in 2022. Since he's under contract for three more seasons with the Saints, the organization would have to reach a trade agreement if he wanted to coach another team.
McCarthy previously noted that he wasn't concerned about his future in Dallas, saying in a Jan. 19 news conference that he had positive dialogue with Jones after the Cowboys' loss to the 49ers.
In two seasons under McCarthy, the Cowboys have posted an 18-15 record in the regular season, including a 12-5 mark and NFC East title in 2021.
Meanwhile, Quinn will return to the Cowboys after he interviewed for the head-coaching vacancies of the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and New York Giants.
Quinn notified the Cowboys that he will remain in Dallas next season and is no longer considering outside interest, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Under Quinn, who coached the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-20, the Cowboys led the league in takeaways (34) this past season.
