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Todd Archer
FRISCO, Texas — From Tom Landry to Brian Schottenheimer.
Schottenheimer was named the 10th coach of the Dallas Cowboys and the ninth in Jerry Jones’ tenure as owner and general manager, joining Hall of Famers Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells among the team’s head coaches.
Schottenheimer replaces Mike McCarthy, who was 49-35 in the regular season and 1-3 in the postseason in five seasons with the Cowboys.
McCarthy was hired to get the Cowboys over the proverbial hump, but Dallas now has the longest NFC Championship Game drought in the conference at 29 years with the Washington Commanders getting to the title game this season.
The Cowboys will turn to a first-time head coach in hopes of bringing the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl trophy — and fourth under Jones — back to Dallas.
The search that led Jones to Schottenheimer, 51, did not include any big-name interviews, though he did have a discussion with Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, now the Colorado head coach. The Cowboys interviewed Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier.
Taking a closer look, Cowboys reporter Todd Archer answers four big questions about the hiring, including what comes next. National reporter Jeremy Fowler dishes on what he’s hearing about the hire, and draft analyst Matt Miller spins it forward to the draft. Finally, analyst Ben Solak grades the hire.
What is Schottenheimer’s coaching background?
He’s a coach’s kid. His father, Marty, was the head coach in Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego. Marty’s 200 wins are seventh most in NFL history, and he took the Browns and Chiefs to three AFC Championship Games.
Brian has been an NFL assistant coach for 24 years, serving 14 of those years as an offensive coordinator, including the past two with the Cowboys, although he did not call plays. He was the playcaller for the New York Jets (2006-11), Rams (2012-14) and Seahawks (2018-20).
He is known more as a run-first coordinator, but in his three years with the Seahawks, Russell Wilson threw 106 touchdown passes with 25 interceptions. He also called plays for the final four games of the 2021 season, when he was the passing game coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars, after Urban Meyer was fired. — Archer
Why did Schottenheimer get the job over the likes of Moore and Sanders?
If Sanders never really interviewed for the job, was he really a candidate? According to sources, Moore did well in his virtual meeting with the club. Perhaps timing hurt his candidacy since the Eagles are still alive in the playoffs.
But Schottenheimer had a supporter in quarterback Dak Prescott. The two have a good relationship, and according to people in and around the team, Prescott likes Schottenheimer’s creativity. After a slow start offensively in 2023, the belief from some was that Schottenheimer played a part in the schematic changes that led to the offense taking off in the final 13 weeks of the season, even if former coach Mike McCarthy was calling the plays.
It’s hard to discount familiarity. Despite being around for just three seasons, Schottenheimer has developed good relationships with every part of the organization. And it’s hard to discount the cost. While it’s not known what he will make, Jones is not a big fan of paying top money to coaches or having large staffs. — Archer
Will he bring in a new coaching staff?
The easy answer is yes because the entire 2024 coaching staff is no longer under contract. Special teams coordinator John Fassel has already moved on to the Tennessee Titans. Some assistants have been told they will not be back, but the Cowboys would like to keep some, like tight ends coach Lunda Wells, who could be a candidate to coach the offensive line.
Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was noncommittal about his future at the end of the season, but there are those in the organization who believe he might be done coaching. Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is a prime candidate for defensive coordinator, sources told Fowler. Eberflus was a Cowboys assistant from 2011 to 2017.
Since Schottenheimer has been with nine different organizations, he knows a lot of people in the league. — Archer
Will the 2025 Cowboys roster be good enough to contend for a Super Bowl?
Jerry Jones will say so at some point, but it is a roster that needs work on both sides of the ball after a 7-10 finish in 2024. The Cowboys suffered a number of injuries to key players, but that is not the sole reason why they finished so poorly. Even when the roster was healthy, they struggled.
But the bones of the roster are good enough to compete with Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb, LB Micah Parsons, G Tyler Smith and CB DaRon Bland. They have key players coming off season-ending surgeries in CB Trevon Diggs and LB DeMarvion Overshown. They have young players, like G Cooper Beebe, LT Tyler Guyton and DT Mazi Smith who played significant snaps in 2024 and will have to be better in 2025. And they will need to keep key players who are set to become free agents, like CB Jourdan Lewis and DT Osa Odighizuwa, while adding players in free agency. — Archer
What are you hearing around the league on the hire?
Coaches, executives and industry people I spoke to were shocked that Schottenheimer rose to the top of Jerry Jones’ list above seemingly more qualified candidates. Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, a former Cowboys player and the former OC in Dallas, was believed to covet the job and there is surprise in league circles that Dallas didn’t wait to explore that possibility more fully.
That said, there are reasons cited by sources around the league about why a Schottenheimer tenure can be successful. He’ll bring continuity to the offense and a comfort level with Prescott — there is a belief within the league that Prescott advocated for Schottenheimer.
People around the league believe Schottenheimer can put a good staff together, potentially including Eberflus as the DC. Schottenheimer has been around a long time and seen a lot — he might not have the name cachet of some of those mentioned as possibilities for the job, but he also projects as someone who can provide a steadying hand for an organization that seems to attract chaos at every turn. — Fowler
What do the Cowboys need most in Round 1 of the draft, and who could be available at No. 12 overall?
Everything but a quarterback. The Cowboys have a clear need at running back with Rico Dowdle set to hit free agency. They are also desperate for a WR2 opposite CeeDee Lamb and could address needs at tight end, on the edge opposite Micah Parsons, defensive tackle or offensive guard. The Cowboys have a lot of holes, but that gives them options.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty would be a quick fix for the running game if he’s available. Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, leading the FBS in both categories. He is likely to be the highest-ranked player on the board (he’s No. 6 in my rankings) when Dallas comes up, but the Cowboys are craving playmakers throughout the offense. Should Dallas decide to wait at running back because of the depth at the position, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren could contribute immediately. — Miller
How would you grade this hire?
C. What was the point of moving on from McCarthy to promote his offensive coordinator? Is something going to change schematically with another branch off the West Coast tree? Is game management supposed to improve with a first-time head coach?
I’m sure Schottenheimer has some new ideas and can modernize in some ways, but there’s a reason why he has been a lifelong offensive coordinator and was — as recently as two years ago — an offensive analyst. Schottenheimer is not viewed as a frontier-pushing head coaching candidate. — Solak
