Mike McCarthy is settling in as the new Dallas Cowboys head coach.
He can still look onto the Green Bay Packers dark green and gold with fondness though.
Hence, the second-winningest coach in Packers history is happy to see Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game and back in the football forefront.
"Well, you can't live in Green Bay and not follow them. It's probably the same here in Dallas], I would think," McCarthy said [via ESPN's Todd Archer. "It's part of the fabric of the community. The people have been awesome. That's our home -- that was our hometown. They've been great to my family and I, but it's great to see them back where they should be. You've got to give those guys a lot of credit. I think the roster and the coaching has given them a chance to get to the Super Bowl."
McCarthy's end came after posting a 125-77-2 record with the Packers over 13 seasons, highlighted by nine playoff appearances and the crowning achievement of a Super Bowl XLV triumph.
With all that history, it has been somewhat difficult for McCarthy to transition while seeing the Packers make their transition.
"Let's be honest, you go through the emotions of it, but I think the reality of living there, it was something that you had to work through in the beginning," McCarthy said. "To be transparent and reflecting on improving myself, it wouldn't have been very smart of me to not watch them, because that program that's there, that's something that was built over a 13-year period. Now what they've done with it, obviously, they've moved it forward and are having success, so I think it's important to watch.
"That's your last experience, so however they're doing this or doing that, I think it's a good way to spend your offseason. It was definitely part of my research to improve."
And now McCarthy will look to improve the Cowboys, but he can still appreciate that the franchise he called home for so long has reclaimed its status as one of the NFL's elite.
