FRISCO, Texas _ The two didn't have a chance to sit down immediately.
A pandemic and contract negotiations kept getting in the way.
Once Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott finally got together, once the new head coach of the Cowboys let his guard down and the two got to know each other, the groundwork was laid.
"We talked about his history," Prescott said. "We had a conversation that first, in-person meeting over lunch and it was about that, where he comes from. Him starting at Pitt and working his way up the charts and becoming the head coach of the Green Bay Packers and obviously getting the opportunity to come here.
"It's something he's very open about. He talks about what he knows and what he's learned, good or bad, from the past and how that's going to benefit us as a team. That's just one of those things that's so genuine about him.
"He's a guy's guy."
Jason Garrett forged meaningful relationships with the players in his time as the Cowboys head coach. He was meticulous and methodical in how he went about it.
McCarthy seems to have a more casual approach in the early days of his tenure. He comes across as conversational where Garrett often came across as corporate.
Garrett is the crisp, white dress shirt that hangs neatly at the front of the closet.
McCarthy is the slightly wrinkled plaid shirt that you grab off the hanger and wear untucked.
Mike Nolan was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers in 2005. McCarthy was his offensive coordinator. Now, Nolan finds himself as part of McCarthy's staff in Dallas as the defensive coordinator.
When offered the position he estimates he took approximately one second to accept.
"I think he's very down to Earth," Nolan said. "He's very real. I think the players can relate to him. He talks their language.
"He's very straightforward. He tells it like it is. He doesn't beat around the bush. He's got a great plan. He's very successful.
"I mean, there's a ton of great things about Mike McCarthy and, to be honest with you, I'm enjoying this as much as any time as I've ever coached."
