Mike McCarthy is not returning as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who are going on three decades since their last Super Bowl title, owner Jerry Jones said in a statement Monday.

Jones said the organization and McCarthy mutually agreed to part ways. The team’s search for its next coach begins immediately, he says.

“I have great respect for Mike, and he has led the team through some very unique and challenging times during his tenure,” Jones said.

McCarthy’s contract expired following a 7-10 season. Dallas was 12-5 each of the three years before that under him, but still hasn’t been past the divisional round of the NFC playoffs since its last Super Bowl at the end of the 1995 season.

McCarthy’s contract expired Jan. 8 and the Cowboys have an exclusive negotiation window through today, but the parties decided to split ahead of the deadline.

At least one other NFL team asked during that time about talking to the 61-year-old coach who won a Super Bowl with Green Bay.

Next season will be the 30th for the Cowboys since winning the last of their five Super Bowl titles.

Before taking the Dallas job after a full season out of coaching, McCarthy was with the Packers for 13 seasons and had a 125-77-2 record from 2006-18. He was 10-8 in the playoffs and led Green Bay to a Super Bowl title at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Cowboys, 14 years ago.

There were also three other NFC championship games for McCarthy in Green Bay, and that is what Jones envisioned — and more — when he hired the coach in 2020 after Jason Garrett never got that far in his 10 years.

McCarthy finished with a 50-38 record in Dallas, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs. That included last season, when the Cowboys were NFC East champions and had won 16 consecutive home games before trailing by 32 points in the fourth quarter of a 48-32 wild-card loss to the seventh-seeded Packers.

49ers interview banjo for special teams coach >> The 49ers interviewed a second candidate Monday for their special teams coordinator job: Chris Banjo.

Banjo, 34, was an assistant special teams coach this past season for the Broncos, who lost Sunday in a wild-card game in Buffalo. He joined the Denver coaching staff in 2023 after ending his playing career, working under special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica.

The former safety and special teams ace played for the Packers, Saints and Cardinals in an NFL career that spanned 2013-2023 after going undrafted out of Southern Methodist.

He is the second outside candidate to interview for the job after the 49ers announced Sunday that they had spoken to Jeff Modkins, a Lions special teams assistant.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said last week after firing three-year special teams coordinator Brian Schneider that former defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, who was removed from that job last week, could also be a candidate for the special teams position.

They announced late last week that they had interviewed former Jets coach Robert Saleh and Lions defensive backs coach DeShea Townsend for their defensive coordinator opening. Saleh held that job with the 49ers under Shanahan from 2017-2020.

The 49ers also announced Monday they’ve interviewed Iowa State assistant Noah Pauley for their offensive coordinator’s job. Pauley, who was a receivers coach at North Dakota State while ex-49er Trey Lance was the quarterback, spent the past two season as Iowa State’s receivers coach and passing game coordinator.

Shanahan said last week that Klay Kubiak would officially become offensive coordinator after essentially filling the role with the 49ers last season. However, the NFL reportedly told the 49ers they needed to interview two minority candidates outside of their staff to fulfill Rooney Rule requirements before announcing a hire.

— Michael Nowels

RAIDERS’ SEARCH >> The Las Vegas Raiders have requested to interview Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for their head coaching position.

Joseph was the Broncos head coach in 2017-18, going 11-21. Joseph then became Arizona’s defensive coordinator for four years before returning to Denver.

He is the seventh known candidate for the position after Antonio Pierce was fired last week.

The Raiders have scheduled or conducted interviews with former Seattle Seahawks and USC coach Pete Carroll, Detroit Lions coordinators Aaron Glenn on defense and Ben Johnson on offense, former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh and Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Las Vegas also has requested an interview with Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The Ravens won their wild-card playoff game on Saturday, so that interview would be on hold if it’s granted.

The Raiders also have an opening at general manager after Tom Telesco was let go last week, but the club has not apparently requested any interviews. It’s possible the Raiders are waiting to see if coaching candidates have anyone in mind that could work as a package deal.