Green Bay Packers fire head coach Mike McCarthy

After Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers have fired head coach Mike McCarthy.

The Green Bay Packers‘ performance in Week 13 was one of their worst under Mike McCarthy.

He needed a strong finish to the season to have any realistic chance of keeping his job, but Sunday’s defeat left his team 4-7-1 and almost certainly eliminated from playoff contention.

Just a few hours after the game, the team announced they have parted ways with McCarthy and have named Joe Philbin the interim head coach.

It comes as a surprise that the Packers made the move before the end of the season, but they now get extra time to begin their search for a new head coach.

In a game they had to win, the Packers lacked energy against the Cardinals and looked like they had given up hope of making the playoffs. A change at head coach was necessary.

This was always going to be a big season for McCarthy. After the Packers hired Brian Gutekunst to be the new general manager and McCarthy made changes to his coaching staff last offseason, it was on McCarthy to ensure the team improved this year.

But the Packers have taken a giant step back and will now almost certainly fail to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.

Despite the way this season has gone, and you could argue the past few years, under McCarthy, it’s important not to forget the success he has had with this team.

Hired in 2006, McCarthy has led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl victory and four NFC Championship Games. The Packers made the playoffs nine times in 12 years, including eight seasons in a row.

McCarthy will find another job in the NFL, there’s no doubt about that.

Now it’s over to Mark Murphy to find the next head coach of the Green Bay Packers.