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A closer look at the unlikely bromance of Jerry Jones and new Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy

After whirlwind courtship, Dallas hired the right man for the right job.

FRISCO — To history’s pantheon of great bromances, from Damon and Pythias to Bert and Ernie, you can now add Jerry and Mike. A more unlikely mutual attraction you couldn’t imagine. How long it lasts is debatable, if not quite predictable. But the love was palpable Wednesday at the Star. Not only that, it provided a definitive answer to you curmudgeons who keep asking who in the world would want to work under Jerry Jones.

Mike McCarthy, that’s who. Boy, does he. He couldn’t sign on fast enough.

Consider the whirlwind courtship: Meetings had gone on for the better part of a day and Saturday is turning to Sunday and Jerry is telling a story, as usual, this time about buying the Cowboys. He gets up at the end, grabs McCarthy by both arms, possibly to prevent any escape, and looks him in the eye.

“You need to be the coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

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What could McCarthy do?

“I jumped up and hugged him,” he said, his voice breaking. “I’ll stop right there.

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“We had a hell of a time.”

If Cowboys fans have half as good of a time over the next five years in McCarthy’s contract, they should count themselves fortunate.

For the record: Jerry hired McCarthy for the proper reasons, starting with the fact that he was the right man for the job. At least among those who wouldn’t cost draft picks. If this young Cowboys roster is close to Super Bowl ready, as most of us seem to agree, then it makes sense to bring in a coach who’s actually won a Super Bowl. And hoisted the Lombardi in their own house!

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A history working with the likes of Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers can’t hurt a guy’s introduction to Dak Prescott. McCarthy will be good for this quarterback, too. It’ll help matters if the new coach remembers where he put his running game, which Eddie Lacy apparently took with him when he left Green Bay. McCarthy seems to understand the error. He’s acknowledged that in his year away from the game, he focused on the benefits of play action. No matter what offense the Cowboys run, West Coast or some sort of amalgamation, Zeke Elliott is the engine.

Analytics will also play a larger part in the Cowboys’ thought process, though it’s unclear as to what extent. Under Garrett’s watch, the Cowboys were behind the curve. For a smart guy, it was dumb. Improving the odds is always the smart move.

Otherwise, McCarthy didn’t offer many clues as to what you should expect. Kellen Moore is apparently back, and he may be the only leftover from the Garrett era. In any case, expect McCarthy to call the plays, as usual. Word is that Mike Nolan will coordinate the defense and Jim Tomsula will coach the defensive line and John Fassel will try to fix the Cowboys’ not-so-special teams. Other than the fact that it’s a little troubling Nolan hasn’t stayed anywhere long enough for his mail to catch up, it’s an impressive start on a new staff.

By the way: Jerry revealed Wednesday that not only does McCarthy have free rein to hire whoever he wants, it’s always been so. Which would be news to Wade Phillips, but I digress.

A new coach, especially one who won a Lombardi Trophy practically under Jerry’s nose, will have more latitude than Garrett did. McCarthy knows that. He also knows he’s inheriting an underachieving roster. All that untapped talent is part of what made the Cowboys more appealing than Cleveland or New York, organizations he also interviewed with last week.

But, judging by the sentiments expressed Wednesday, much of the decision was based on the brand.

“This is the Dallas Cowboys,” McCarthy said. “I don’t think you need to go further.”

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He believed it so much, in fact, he said it twice.

Frankly, it’s music to Jerry’s ears. He’s never had a coach with this big of a résumé who seemed more grateful to be a Cowboy. Neither Jimmy Johnson nor Barry Switzer had even coached in the NFL when Jerry gave them their shots. Bill Parcells took the job because he was bored and broke.

And what about Garrett, whose tenure as Cowboys’ coach is second only to Tom Landry’s? Jerry’s affection was still clear Wednesday, if in his own, odd way. But it’s just not the same. The Joneses knew Saturday. Jerry Jr. sidled up to the old man late in the evening and asked him what he was waiting on. Stephen was ready to roll, he said. Jerry still wasn’t sure if he should. He didn’t want to seem impulsive. Hated how it might appear.

“When,” Jerry Jr. said, “have you ever worried about how it looks?”

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And that’s when the old man got up and asked McCarthy to marry him. The franchise, I mean. He was smitten, all right.

Of all things, Jerry used his sister’s divorce to explain it. She’d had to explain her motives to their father, who wanted to know what in the world had gotten into her. She told him she didn’t hear bells, and he said he hadn’t heard in any in 30 years.

Jerry let the laughter die, then put a bow on his story.

“Bottom line is,” he said, smiling, “I heard bells.”

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I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship, but I’ve been wrong before.