FRISCO, Texas — From Tom Landry to Brian Schottenheimer.
Schottenheimer was named Friday as the 10th coach of the Dallas Cowboys and the ninth coach of Jerry Jones’ tenure as owner and general manager, joining Hall of Famers Landry, Jimmie Johnson and Bill Parcells. He joined the head coach of Mr.
Schottenheimer replaces Mike McCarthy, who went 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 hurdle, but this season the Washington Commanders have advanced to the title game and Dallas continues its conference’s longest NFC Championship Game drought at 29 years. are.
The Cowboys will hire their first head coach, hoping to bring the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl championship and fourth under Jones to Dallas.
The search that led Jones to Schottenheimer, 51, did not include interviews with big-name players, but it did not include discussions with University of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, a Hall of Famer. I was disappointed. 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.
Cowboys reporter Todd Archer answers the four big recruiting questions in detail, including what’s next. National reporter Jeremy Fowler breaks down what he’s heard about the acquisition, and draft analyst Matt Miller unpacks it leading up to the draft. Finally, analyst Ben Solak scores the hires.
What is Schottenheimer’s coaching background?
He’s a coach’s kid. His father, Marty, was a head coach in Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego. Marty’s 200 wins are seventh most in NFL history and he led the Browns and Chiefs to three AFC Championship Games.
Brian has been an NFL assistant coach for 24 years, including 14 years as an offensive coordinator, including the past two years with the Cowboys, even though he didn’t call plays. He was the play-caller for the New York Jets (2006-2011), Rams (2012-2014), and Seahawks (2018-2020).
Although he is known as a run-first coordinator, Russell Wilson threw 106 touchdown passes and had 25 interceptions in his three years with the Seahawks. He also called plays in the final four games of the 2021 season while serving as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ passing game coordinator after Urban Meyer was fired. — Archer
Why did Schottenheimer get the job instead of someone like Moore or Sanders?
If Sanders never actually went to an interview, was he really a candidate? Sources said Moore did well in virtual meetings with the club. Perhaps the timing hurt his candidacy, as the Eagles remain in the playoffs.
But Schottenheimer had a supporter in quarterback Dak Prescott. The two have a good relationship, and people inside and outside the team say Prescott likes Schottenheimer’s creativity. After a slow start offensively in 2023, Schottenheimer helped change the scheme of things to get the offense back on track over the final 13 weeks of the season, even as former coach Mike McCarthy dictated. There was also the view that this might be the case.
It’s hard to ignore the familiarity. Despite only being with the team for three seasons, Schottenheimer has built good relationships with all parts of the organization. And costs are difficult to discount. It’s unclear how much money he will make, but Jones doesn’t really like paying top dollar to coaches or having a large staff. — Archer
Will he bring in a new coaching staff?
The simple answer is yes. That’s because the contracts for the entire coaching staff expire in 2024. Special teams coordinator John Fassel has already been traded to the Tennessee Titans. Although some assistants have reportedly not returned, the Cowboys hope to retain potential offensive line coaching candidates, such as tight ends coach Lunda Wells.
Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer declined to comment on his future at season’s end, but some within the organization believe he may be done coaching. Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus told Fowler that he is the top candidate for the defensive coordinator position, according to sources. Eberflus was an assistant with the Cowboys from 2011 to 2017.
Schottenheimer has been with nine different organizations, so he knows a lot of people around the league. — Archer
Will the 2025 Cowboys roster be good enough to compete for the Super Bowl?
Jerry Jones will say it someday, but considering they finished 7-10 in 2024, this roster needs work on both ends. The Cowboys had a lot of injuries to key players, but that’s not the only reason why they ended so badly. Even with a healthy roster, the team struggled.
However, the bulk of the roster is strong enough to compete with Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb, LB Micah Parsons, G Tyler Smith, and CB Daron Brand. The Cowboys have two key players, CB Trevon Diggs and LB Demarvion Overshawn, returning from season-ending surgery. They have young players like G. Cooper Beebe, LT. Tyler Guyton, and DT. Mazzi Smith who were big in 2024 and need to improve even more in 2025. They will also need to retain key players who are set to become free agents, such as cornerback Jordan Lewis. Then they added DT Osa Odighizuwa and added free agents. — Archer
What do you hear in the league while on loan?
Coaches, executives and industry insiders I spoke with were shocked that Schottenheimer had risen to the top of Jerry Jones’ list, ahead of potentially more qualified candidates. I was receiving it. Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, a former Cowboys player and former Dallas OC, was thought to be coveted for the job, but will wait until Dallas explores the possibility more thoroughly. There are voices of surprise in the league that this did not happen.
That being said, there are several reasons league officials have cited as to why Schottenheimer’s tenure will be successful. He will bring continuity to the offense and a comfort level for Prescott — there is belief around the league that Prescott will defend Schottenheimer.
League officials believe that Schottenheimer could potentially include Eberflus in DC and be able to put together a good staff. Mr. Schottenheimer has been active for a long time and has experienced many things. He may not be as well-known as the names mentioned as possibilities for the job, but he is also seen as someone who could provide a steady hand to an attractive organization. Confusion at every turn. — Fowler
What do the Cowboys need most in the first round of the draft? Who can they get at No. 12 overall?
Everything but the quarterback. With Rico Doodle set to become a free agent, the Cowboys clearly need to fight back. They also desperately need a WR2 opposite CeeDee Lamb, who could address a need at tight end, 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 Giunty, if available, would be an immediate addition to the running game. Giunty led the FBS in both categories last season with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. He’ll likely be the highest-ranked player on the board when Dallas comes out (sixth in my rankings), but the Cowboys are hungry for playmakers across the offense. If Dallas decides to wait at running back due to depth at the position, Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III or Penn State tight end Tyler Warren could contribute right away. be. — mirror
How do you evaluate this hire?
C. What was the point of moving on from McCarthy to promote offensive coordinator? Will something fundamentally change with the emergence of another branch of the West Coast tree? Should game management improve with a first-time head coach?
I’m sure Schottenheimer has new ideas and can modernize in some ways, but there’s a reason he’s been an offensive coordinator all his life and was an offensive analyst as recently as two years ago. Schottenheimer is not considered a head coaching candidate who would break new ground. — Sorak
