By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Dec 02, 2018 at 6:46 PM

The Green Bay Packers announced early this evening that the team parted ways with embattled head coach Mike McCarthy. 

The news comes after the Packers lost, 20-17, at Lambeau Field to the Arizona Cardinals, then tied for the worst record in the entire NFC. The loss also dropped the Packers to 4-7-1, pretty much eliminated from the playoff race. 

"The 2018 season has not lived up to the expectations and standards of the Green Bay Packers. As a result, I made the difficult decision to relieve Mike McCarthy of his role as head coach, effective immediately," said Packers president and chief executive officer Mike Murphy, in a statement.

"Mike has been a terrific head coach and leader of the Packers for 13 seasons, during which time we experienced a great deal of success on and off the field. We want to thank Mike, his wife, Jessica, and the rest of the McCarthy family for all that they have done for the Packers and the Green Bay and Wisconsin communities. We will immediately begin the process of selecting the next head coach of the Green Bay Packers."

Over 13 seasons as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy compiled a 125-77-2 record while going 10-8 in the postseason and winning a Super Bowl in the 2010 season. However, over recent seasons, McCarthy regularly found himself on the hot seat due to several slow starts to seasons and making only one Super Bowl appearance with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. And this year, coming off the team's first missed postseason since 2008, the heat obviously reached untenable levels, with lackluster on-field performances boiling over into numerous criticisms about McCarthy's play-calling and offensive schemes as well as reports and rumors of the coach's growingly rocky relationship with his star quarterback. 

Considering McCarthy's previous years of success and Super Bowl win, not to mention Green Bay's traditionally conservative approach to roster and organizational changes, many might've expected the Packers to wait until the end of the season to cut ties with the coach. However, today's loss at home to the Cardinals, and the disappointing season that preceded it, was too much for the Packers front office.

Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin will take over as interim head coach for the rest of the season. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.