The Mike McCarthy era of the Dallas Cowboys is already in full swing, and the new head coach has begun his spring cleaning efforts. The first victims of his efforts are Jon Kitna and Kris Richard, as they have been informed that their tenure with the team is coming to an end.

According to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, tight ends coach Doug Nussmeier will be taking over the quarterbacks coach job, the position Kitna once held. Meanwhile, Richard still had a year left in his contract as the team's pass defense coordinator/secondary coach. He will likely be looking for a job as an assistant coach after spending two seasons with the Cowboys.

Kitna, a former quarterback who spent 13 games with Dallas from 2010-11, had only one season working with Dak Prescott. While the team eventually fell short of making the playoffs, Prescott had an incredibly solid season. He finished with 4,902 passing yards and 30 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Richard helped the Cowboys to a respectable passing defense in the league. They only ceded 3,576 yards and 21 touchdowns last year, making them one of the best passing defenses in the NFL. However, McCarthy didn't find his efforts good enough to stay on his coaching staff moving forward.

In Richard's place will stand Maurice Linguist, who is known as the cornerbacks coach at Texas A&M. He has no prior experience in the pros, making this a daring signing.

There's a cautious air of positivity surrounding the Cowboys at the moment, and they hope that the adjustments McCarthy makes will help the team compete for the Super Bowl next season.