Brian Schottenheimer is Named the Next Head Coach of the Cowboys

Published by Shivani Bhore on

On Friday night, the Dallas Cowboys announced that coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has been named the team’s tenth head coach, following an external search for Mike McCarthy’s replacement.

The Cowboys also interviewed former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who was the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2022, and Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier.

Following the coaches’ previous conversations with the organisation, Schottenheimer interviewed Jones, Executive Vice President Stephen Jones, and Vice President of Player Personnel Will McClay this week. He has developed strong relationships within the organisation and has a nice chemistry with quarterback Dak Prescott, but this will be his first head coaching job.

Jones explained, “Brian Schottenheimer is known as a career assistant,” to ESPN. “He ain’t Brian no more. He is now known as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has been told by insiders that former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is being considered for the role of defensive coordinator with the Cowboys, despite Schottenheimer still having not finalised his staff. From 2011 to 2017, Eberflus worked as an assistant for the Cowboys.

In 2022, Schottenheimer joined the Cowboys as a consultant at the age of 51, working mostly with former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Schottenheimer was named offensive coordinator in 2022 when Mike McCarthy took over playcalling duties and Kellen Moore left for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Schottenheimer has served as offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, and St. Louis Rams. Prior to joining the Dallas Cowboys, he served as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ passing game coordinator in 2021.

In his twelve years as a playcaller, Schottenheimer’s offences finished in the top ten in points per game four times and in the top half of the league in yards per game three times. His best tenure was with the Seahawks, where Russell Wilson was the quarterback and the team finished sixth, ninth, and eighth in terms of points per game.

Under head coach Mike McCarthy, Schottenheimer was instrumental in designing the offence even though he did not call plays directly. Team sources claim that he played a key role in reviving the offence in 2023 following a slow start. The Cowboys finished the season with the league’s highest-scoring offence, averaging 29.9 points per game and finishing fifth in total yards with 371.6. They also scored 30 points or more in seven of their previous 11 games.