The Dallas Cowboys Blog – How Mike McCarthy and Nathaniel Hackett, both from Dallas, made an unlikely bond.

It is not easy to get into the NFL coaching circle. Mike McCarthy, Nathaniel Hackett are the coaches of the NFL. Dallas Cowboys 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.”

McCarthy and Hacketts will be in Denver for the Cowboys’ and Broncos’ preseason games. 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. This relationship helped McCarthy grow as a coach and beyond.

Nathaniel, the head coach’s kid, was 9. A coach looking to get into the business was not limited in the tasks he had to perform as a graduate assistant. Sometimes, Nathaniel was even babysat.

“He even took me on my first roller coaster — the Laser Loop at Kennywood — I had never experienced anything like it and it was awesome,” Nathaniel said.

McCarthy called Kennywood, located in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, about 25 minutes from Pittsburgh, the “roller coaster capital of the world” back in that time.

“Wooden ones,” McCarthy said. “Real ones.”

“He was scared s—less,” the Cowboys coach said, smiling at the memory.

McCarthy counts Paul Hackett among his mentors. He was on the Pitt staff for four years, and when Hackett joined Marty Schottenheimer’s Kansas City Chiefs McCarthy joined him as a quality coach and he was appointed offensive coordinator. (Schottenheimer’s son, Brian, is now a consultant for the Cowboys.)

This was the beginning of a journey that saw McCarthy go from a six-year stay in Kansas City to a one-year period with the United States. Green Bay Packers Five seasons as a quarterbacks coach with the New Orleans Saints As offensive coordinator, and in the same position with the San Francisco 49ers.

He was the Packers’ head coach in 2006. He remained there until 2018. He is now entering his third season as Cowboys coach.

“[Paul Hackett] made a huge impact on my professional career and even personal, so I have a tremendous amount of love for the Hackett family,” McCarthy said.

It wasn’t always easy.

“I know my dad made it hard on him,” Nathaniel said, “but I know Mike says to this day it always made him better.”

McCarthy’s career started at Fort Hays State in 1987 as a graduate assistant. Nathaniel began his coaching career as an assistant linebackers coach at UC Davis. Gruden introduced Nathaniel to the NFL in 2006 as a quality control coach. Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe journey began with four NFL teams plus three years at Syracuse. It also included a three-year stint as the Packers’ offensive coach after McCarthy was fired.

The success with the Packers led to him earning the Broncos’ job.

“I think both Mike and my father really wanted me to make it on my own first. There are coaches’ kids, and there’s some good ones and some bad ones, like anything, and I think they wanted to be sure when I was first starting out that I made it my own way, that I fought through the hard times, that I got it on my own,” Nathaniel said. “And I think both my dad and Mike had a lot of pride in that, that I earned it.”

Two practices were agreed upon by the Cowboys with the Los Angeles Chargers Before McCarthy and Hackett had discussed the possibility of their teams working together. They came to an agreement on one practice and have had numerous discussions about how much work and what kind of work they want, especially with their first-teamers.

“We’re going up there [to Denver] High-quality work. We are looking for speed, and we also want to be competitive. We want all that,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got a big day in front of us Thursday, particularly with the altitude and the heat. This will be a great experience for us.”

McCarthy and Hacketts will have a wonderful experience. There will be time for reminiscing before and after practice. Perhaps they’ll even have some roller-coaster talk.

“He’s a phenomenal football coach,” McCarthy said of Nathaniel. “I think his energy and intelligence, just the amount of work he’s put into it. Paul is my hero. I can’t tell you how excited Paul is for Nathaniel’s opportunity.”