GBPG Talks with Mike & Jessie McCarthy

[RashanGary]

I predict ugly divorce

Well, big headed childeren too.

[pbmax]

The angle you are all missing is that clearly M3 would not have planned a baby in November unless that was the date Brett Favre will be coming back to the team to start.

And I will start the pool with $5 if they name the child Mike (M4 indeed).

[GBRulz]

and now the full article.....


Newly married coach opens up about life off the field

BY THOMAS ROZWADOWSKI • trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com • June 29, 2008

If the reality of couplehood hadn’t sunk in quite yet, Mike McCarthy realized it as soon as he and his new wife, Jessica, began mapping out the interior of their renovated home in Ledgeview.

The “bachelor artwork” hanging above the living room couch in his Green Bay home has made its last appearance.

Welcome to marriage, Mike.

“Oh come on, those are Nagels,” McCarthy said, not putting up much of a fight over three renderings by well-known pop artist Patrick Nagel.

For a guy who is used to calling shots as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, there’s a new big cheese in town. And McCarthy wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yet for all his mastery of X’s and O’s as the Packers’ sideline general, McCarthy isn’t completely comfortable discussing his blueprint off the field.

His mother, Ellen, describes him as a private person who for a long time only focused on work.

McCarthy refers to himself as a “shy Irish Catholic boy” and freely admits to feeling out of place during his first meeting with Jessica, a blind date at St. Brendan’s Inn facilitated by friends, John and Traci Schneider.

Even Jessica good-naturedly ribs him for barely speaking during that first encounter, forcing her to make sweeping hand gestures to overcompensate for the awkward silences.

But even if he isn’t the kind of guy who’ll shout his happiness from the rooftops, make no mistake about it: Not only is McCarthy comfortable in Green Bay, he’s found real fulfillment here.

Following the 2007 season, he married a hometown girl he describes as “Green Bay to the core.” By early July, they plan to be fully settled at Jessica’s reconstructed home. In early November, they’ll welcome a baby.

Needless to say, it’s been a full year.

“Yet it also feels like I just got here,” McCarthy said. “But here it is, year three already. I’m married. On my second house. It’s gone incredibly fast. But it’s been really great.”

The path to marriage and a second stint as a father — McCarthy’s 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, lives in Austin, Texas — was unexpected to the newlywed couple. What started out slow soon became a whirlwind, leading to a small, private wedding ceremony for family in Arizona, an experience Jessica said she “wouldn’t have traded for anything in the world.”

But it’s more about the harsh reality of being in the NFL pressure cooker that made McCarthy wonder if he’d ever see Green Bay as more than just a job opportunity. Being locked in from late July to January/early February leaves little room for a social life. His brief stint as Packers quarterback coach during the 1999 season had him on the move before neighbors could even be comfortable around the new guy.

For McCarthy, the short summer window prior to training camp had long been his lone chance to spend quality time with Alex. This year, it’ll be a quick trip to Austin before finishing touches are put on the house. Then the moving van arrives, and it’s back to burning the midnight oil at 1265 Lombardi Avenue as the railbirds descend on South Oneida Street.

“To be honest, if it wasn’t because of my friendship with John (Schneider, Packers director of football operations), this would have never happened,” McCarthy said, motioning toward Jessica. “As an NFL coach, you literally get up and go until you can’t go any more. You go back to the hotel and crash. And the whole coaching staff goes through it.

“And that first year, especially, is so hard. You literally have no time to think about anything outside of the job you’re doing. It’s a difficult transition for everyone.”

So it was trust in Schneider – a football colleague dating back to McCarthy’s days as an assistant coach with the Kansas City Chiefs – that led to a “rocky” first date with Jessica.

Schneider, a De Pere native who attended Abbot Pennings High School, had known Jessica, a St. Joseph’s Academy graduate, because of the Catholic connection the schools shared. When his wife, Traci, bumped into her at an event, the pair had a brainstorm. At the very least, they thought, McCarthy could use a breather from the 24/7 NFL grind.

“I don’t think anyone was in a position to play matchmaker,” John Schneider said. “It was like anyone would probably do. ‘Hey, there’s this friend of ours who is single. She’s really nice.’ And you know, Mike was single, just moving here and not knowing anybody. At the very least, I figured we could all be friends.”

It was slow going after that first official date in the spring of 2006. But Mike, 44, and Jessica, 36, stayed in contact and found common ground as divorced parents. Mike also developed a quick bond with Jessica’s two boys, Jack, 7, and George, 5.

With the best still to come in November, now’s the time to get settled, McCarthy said. Which is the way it has to be, lest anyone forget about a little thing called training camp starting July 28.

“To be honest with you, I feel this year, once we get through this latest transition, everything will be easier,” McCarthy said. “People in our position, bringing together two families – there’s a major adjustment. And now with another family member coming, and just being able to maintain one home, not run back and forth. Once we do hit August and September, I think everything will be easier on us.

“We’ll be one family unit. I’m really looking forward to that.”

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Nagels! Oh, brother.

Guess we should be happy it wasn't beer posters.

[oregonpackfan]

Jessica should be warned about those "shy, Irish Catholic boys." Just ask my wife--she married one!

[bobblehead]

I'm changing my prediction on the over/under thread. We will not win 8 games this year. I can see it already.

"I need to gameplan honey, its saturdaynight"

"But I need your attention now (pouty face)"

Big fight ensues, nothing gets done, team looks lost on sunday.

I don't care if she is a gold digger, but family men don't make good football coaches.

[MJZiggy]

I think she knew the drill before she stepped into it. It takes a very independent woman to be the wife of a coach.

[GBRulz]

Packers head coach shares a bit of his private life

BY THOMAS ROZWADOWSKI • trozwado@greenbaypressgazette.com • June 29, 2008

There are three questions anyone who spends a significant amount of time in Green Bay eventually must be able to answer.

Is it really possible to get extra butter on a Kroll’s hamburger?

Does anyone ever get used to that smell along the Fox River?

What do you think about the head coach of the Green Bay Packers?

Mike McCarthy understands the responsibility that comes with being part of question No. 3. As the 14th head coach in Green Bay Packers history, his job title — and the Pope-like status that comes with it in a town that eats, breathes and worships football — also frames who he is off the field.

So while he probably isn’t in danger of finding paparazzi perched in a backyard treetop with a telephoto lens, McCarthy, an extremely private man according to friends and family, realizes the public’s interest in his personal life.

By way of the wedding bands they now share, Jessica McCarthy has entered the same green-and-gold-shaded periphery.
Meet Jessica McCarthy

A Green Bay girl through and through, Jessica hasn’t strayed far from Titletown.

An elementary school art teacher after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Jessica attended Bayview Middle School in Howard and St. Joseph’s Academy, the latter school providing an invaluable support system that remains intact to this day.

Also, while she has an immediate tie to the Packers organization through her father, Tom Murphy, archivist at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, longtime friends find it amusing that Jessica is married to the team’s head coach.

“Just knowing Jess and what type of person she is, she really doesn’t know anything about football,” said Meghan Greene, a former Academy classmate and Jessica’s neighbor in Ledgeview. “Just last week I asked her what she was doing (that) night, and she said, ‘Oh, Mike’s got that mini camp or training camp. Which one is it?’”

That’s part of what makes their relationship refreshing, Greene said. Not being star struck allowed the pair to find common ground on more important things, namely family — Mike with his 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, in Austin, Texas, and Jessica’s two boys, also from a previous marriage, Jack, 7, and George, 5.

“Mike is such a genuine individual,” Jessica said. “My boys took to him right away. He’s an excellent role model. They’re like puppies when they see him.”

Whether or not Mike was fully aware of the unique circumstances, marriage also meant he signed up to be part of Jessica’s tight-knit social circle — one that includes five high school friends who’ve not only stayed in touch, but also live in the same Ledgeview neighborhood. That includes Greene, who has known Jessica since they were 14.

“The first few times Mike was around and we were, ‘Oh, this is so and so,’ he’d be like, ‘Wait, did you guys all go to high school together?’” Greene said with a laugh.

“So yeah, it’s kind of strange. But in a great way. We left, came back and realized that we all value our family and friends. And Green Bay is a great place to raise kids, a great place to live.”

“You have to marry someone around here to get in,” McCarthy said jokingly. “It’s tougher than the Mafia, for God sakes.”
Striking a balance

John Schneider, the Packers’ director of football operations and a friend of McCarthy’s from their days with the Kansas City Chiefs, said he and Mike had long talks about balancing personal and professional roles upon his arrival as head coach in 2006.

While he didn’t intentionally play matchmaker, his friendship with both Mike, 44, and Jessica, 36, led to the couple’s first blind date.

“I think it’s important for someone in Mike’s position to have somebody that you can totally trust outside the business. To be able to just talk about things that you wouldn’t share with someone you worked with,” said Schneider, a De Pere native who has also known Jessica since high school.

“Knowing that they were both divorced, I thought, ‘Yeah, with her two kids and his daughter, that’s something they can talk about.’ But really, it was that both of them have huge hearts and a lot of energy. They’re really great people, so let’s see where it goes, you know?”

Though he couldn’t have predicted it, Schneider is thrilled with the nuptials. Not just any type of companionship would have worked for Mike, something they had also discussed while delving into his social life — or lack thereof until Jessica entered the picture.

“I think he can feel comfortable, go to a barbecue with everyone and not feel like people are going to start asking him questions about (Packers starting quarterback) Aaron Rodgers,” Schneider said.

“And that’s huge. It really is. I’ve constantly talked to (Mike) about taking time for himself and focusing on faith and family, not just football. But it can be so overwhelming being the head coach. At times, you need someone like Jessica to rein you in a little bit. Someone you can just say, ‘Hey, what are we gonna do tonight?’ to. Or, ‘Let’s talk about the kids. Talk about the house.’” Added Greene: “With the line of work he’s in, I don’t think either one was pounding the pavement for a relationship. It’s just one of those things where you find what you’re looking for when you least expect it.”

Feeling comfortable in Green Bay has also helped, Jessica said. The relationship started slowly, but once they went out in public, any trepidation they might have had about being approached quickly subsided.

“People respect Mike,” Jessica said. “When we go out to dinner, they’re very respectful of his time. I often forget that Mike is who he is because of how normal he acts around me. It’s a good place to live for the position he’s in.”
Handling the attention

For Mike, dealing with external factors brought on by his title is a work in progress.

His role as Packers head coach in the revolving door NFL is well defined; one that requires a tireless work ethic and keen attention to detail in order to be successful. But being comfortable with his stature around town is harder to manage — not only because of his humble Pittsburgh roots, but because he respects his job too much, Schneider said.

“If he was not the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, he could be sitting on a park bench with you, just talking. He’s the kind of guy you could bump into at the grocery store and just start a conversation with,” Schneider said.

“But there’s no question about how he treats his profession. I think he probably feels bad that he can’t be more out in the open, out in public. As much as he’d like to do it, I’m not sitting in that chair so it’s hard for me to tell. But just listening to him talk, hearing what people say to him when they approach him, a lot of people want to be acquaintances with the head coach of the Packers. And he’s such a kind-hearted person, but he also has to be somewhat guarded about who he lets in his circle.”

Which is why Schneider is pleased Mike has finally found his closest confidant.

Away from the field, Mike can still spend time with his daughter — which he admits is tougher now that she’s a teenager “on her schedule” — and also look forward to Jessica’s first trip to Pittsburgh or shopping for the baby room at his new house. When he comes home at night, the focus will be family, not football.

It’s a welcome development to Mike’s mother, Ellen, who along with her husband, Joe, still lives in working-class Pittsburgh.

“Mike’s not the kind of person who ever draws attention to himself. He’s a very private person. And it’s hard, because your private life, you would like to keep private,” Ellen said.

“You just want everybody to have somebody. She really cares for him. It doesn’t matter what position he’s in. She looks at him as a person.”

While his parents travel to Green Bay for all home games, Ellen said she grew accustomed to Mike’s work-heavy focus and juggling family time based on the demands of the NFL season. It’s something Jessica also has to be prepared for, especially come November when the baby is due and the Packers could be on the road playing Tennessee.

“It’ll work out, it always does,” McCarthy said of the time crunch and his potential whereabouts. “I just hope and pray for a healthy baby, that mom is healthy. Everything else will be fine.”

“I have two boys who keep me busy. But of course I miss him when he’s gone,” Jessica said. “But I know he’ll come home. (The schedule) is just part of who he is.”
This is … home

Fretting the little things doesn’t seem to be on the couple’s radar as they prepare to settle into their shared home in Ledgeview over the next few weeks.

While talking about the future in Mike’s living room — packing boxes a necessary evil that can no longer be ignored — everything about the couple seems to follow the path of their intimate wedding for family in Arizona earlier this year.

The wedding was organized with help from another high school friend of Jessica’s — a simple event with Jessica ditching a traditional gown for a less formal J Crew dress. Jessica’s two sons walked her down the aisle; Alex accompanied Mike.

“She said 15 minutes before the ceremony, she was in her hotel room watching her boys play video games,” Greene said. “Just very relaxed and calm. They did what they wanted that day. On their terms.”

It’s how the couple hopes to proceed from here on out.

Mike will have his hands full coming off a successful season where the Packers fell one game short of a Super Bowl appearance. Jessica’s hobby is interior design, and her eyes light up while discussing house plans. Best of all, November brings the birth of their baby.

Both said the main focus is feeling at home in Green Bay. Something Jessica is used to as a native. Something Mike is finally experiencing to its fullest.

“The Midwest as a whole is exemplified in Green Bay. It really reminds me of the community I grew up in,” Mike said.

“Hopefully my career keeps me here. It’s good to know this is going to be our home.”

[Pugger]

Are some of you worried that MM having a baby in November is gonna be a distraction?? Good grief! He's been a father before. I thought it was a nice article. Lighten up guys!

[Fritz]

I can't believe we can let this thread go by without a little sexual crudity. I feel obligated to step up here. Having said that....

MM looks like a man who knows he's gonna get some tonight. He looks damn happy.

[KYPack]

you guys are fun! half the shit i spout on here is done while playfully chuckling and just havin fun ...

chicks dont like money.

they like power and strength.

strong men with power just usually happen to have money. that's what it takes to make it.

i know how it works...

im sure their marriage will be filled with tulips, string quartets and big-headed babies

Easy there, oh King of all that is Hip.

[mission]

there's no easy here, cap'n ...

<<-- see the name ... it never stops.

"hip" is expensive jeans, boutique $150 t-shirts and low-lit martini lounges..

i have neither and know nothing about all that. im hip enough to at least know *who's the king of hip* i guess, so you're right there.

... and im 100% right in that post, btw. not sure what you want eased up on... truth?

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I'm changing my prediction on the over/under thread. We will not win 8 games this year. I can see it already.

"I need to gameplan honey, its saturdaynight"

"But I need your attention now (pouty face)"

Big fight ensues, nothing gets done, team looks lost on sunday.

I don't care if she is a gold digger, but family men don't make good football coaches.

Really? This might go down as one of the dumbest things ever posted.

I'd venture to guess that 95% of all NFL coaches were married. And, I bet 100% of all SB winning coaches were married.

[Cleft Crusty]

family men don't make good football coaches.

I bet 100% of all SB winning coaches were married.

An interesting point is whether good 'family men' as opposed strictly to 'married men' make good coaches. At least some successful married coaches were pretty poor family men, so to speak. Lombardi comes to mind as an example.

[the_idle_threat]

I think JH called this one right. The gold digger alarm definitely sounds here.

Mid thirties and already divorced from the multi-millionaire president of a large corporation (what was the age difference there, I wonder?) and now married to the most eligible millionaire bachelor in town ... all in the relatively small pond, in terms of millionaires, that is Green Bay ... Hmmmmm ...