NFL coaching circles are relatively tight. For Mike McCarthy and Nathaniel Hackett, the coaches of the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos, respectively, it’s something like the favorite uncle and nephew.
“It’s Coach McCarthy, it’s like family,” Hackett said. “It will always be like family.”
Over the next few days in Denver, McCarthy and the Hacketts will be together when the Cowboys and Broncos practice against each other once and prepare for their first preseason game on Saturday (9 p.m. ET, NFL Network).
In 1989, McCarthy was a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh, working on Paul Hackett’s staff that included future NFL head coaches Jon Gruden and Marvin Lewis.