Pittsburgh native and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy faces Steelers in hometown homecoming
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh native and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is making a hometown homecoming this weekend for Sunday's primetime matchup against the Steelers.
In McCarthy's hometown neighborhood of Greenfield, people are excited to welcome him back to Pittsburgh.
From his Greenfield roots to coaching in Green Bay, Dallas, and everywhere in between, McCarthy has always had the support of the community where he grew up and got his start.
While McCarthy will be coaching on the opposing sideline this Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium, it goes deeper than supporting the colors he wears -- it's a community that rallies around one of their own.
Amy Smith lives in Greenfield, knows McCarthy's family, and says she's a hardcore Steelers fan, but still wants to see him do well and succeed.
"Anytime somebody from this neighborhood gets to go above and beyond, that's a triumph for all of us," Smith said. "If you're triumphant or winning, I'm here to celebrate with you. But if you're struggling, I'm here to help you out. That's what this community is all about."
Pittsburgh roots run deep for Mike McCarthy
Even while he was coaching the Packers to a win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, McCarthy has always kept a contingent in Greenfield.
Ali Elwagaa has owned Yesterday's bar on Greenfield Avenue for almost 15 years. He said he's met some of McCarthy's friends and classmates who have always rooted for him to succeed.
Elwagaa said that when the Steelers and Packers played one another in the past, half of the people in the bar would be cheering for the Packers because of McCarthy.
"He always was involved in the community," Elwagaa said. "Every time when there's a break, he stops here and he talks to the people here and sees his friends."
McCarthy graduated from St. Rosalia Academy on Greenfield Avenue and gave money to the school up until it closed in 2018.
Despite the journey that McCarthy's coaching career has taken him on from a graduate assistant at Pitt to more than 160 wins in the NFL and a Lombardi trophy, he's never forgotten his roots.
McCarthy has lost both games he coached against the Steelers in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium and has beaten them just once in five tries overall.