The NFL coaching hiring cycle began on January 5, following the conclusion of the regular season, with seven teams initially searching for a new head coach. Last night, the Dallas Cowboys promoted Brian Schottenheimer from offensive coordinator to head coach, leaving the New Orleans Saints as the only team without a head coach. Frankly, it’s hard to see the move from Mike McCarthy to Schottenheimer as an upgrade. Additionally, the fact that other teams in need of a coach moved more quickly to secure the “best” coaching candidates available puts owner and general manager Jerry Jones in a questionable position.
Jerry Jones and His 30-Year Failed Project
Not surprisingly, Cowboys fans were not thrilled with the news. After 29 years without a Super Bowl win, there’s little to celebrate. In fact, most of the current Dallas Cowboys players weren’t even born the last time the franchise played a game beyond the divisional round in January 1996. The decision to hire Schottenheimer is eerily similar to Jerry Jones’ decision in 2010, when he replaced Wade Phillips with Jason Garrett. At the time, Garrett was in his fourth year as offensive coordinator and coming off an 11-win season the year before. However, a disastrous 1-7 start under Phillips led to his dismissal mid-season and Garrett became the head coach where he held the position for the next nine seasons until McCarthy arrived.
Next season will mark 30 years since the Cowboys last advanced past the divisional round. But as long as the business continues to thrive and the team remains the most valuable sports franchise in the world, Jerry Jones doesn’t seem too worried. On “The Right Time” podcast, Bomani Jones brilliantly broke down the Jerry Jones era and what to expect from Brian Schottenheimer. His candid statement, “Literally no one has ever been happy to have Brian Schottenheimer as their offensive coordinator,” offers a sharp critique that resonates with fans’ current frustrations.
Schottenheimer’s Resume Doesn’t Inspire Confidence
Schottenheimer has 25 years of NFL coaching experience, but has never been a head coach. His early career began as a quarterbacks coach with the Commanders for one year and later with the Chargers for four years under his father, Marty Schottenheimer. He didn’t excel in either role. His first big break came as the offensive coordinator for the Jets in 2006, which remained his career highlight until joining the Seahawks in 2018. In New York, he helped Chad Pennington win Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2006 and led Mark Sanchez and the Jets’ offense to their last playoff appearance in 2010. However, any success with the Jets is often considered exceptional given the team’s history.
After his time with the Jets, Schottenheimer had disappointing years with the Rams, Georgia Bulldogs, and Colts before joining Pete Carroll and the Seahawks in 2018. In 2020, Russell Wilson threw a career-high 40 touchdowns on a 68.8 percent completion rate to lead Seattle to a 12-4 record, its best season since the “Legion of Boom” era, and set a franchise record with 459 points scored that year.
Schottenheimer hasn’t been bad as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator. In his first year in the role, Dallas led the league with 509 points scored, the second-most in franchise history and the sixth time the Cowboys led the league in scoring. Dak Prescott led the league in passing touchdowns (36) and finished second in MVP voting, while CeeDee Lamb led the league in receptions (135). However, despite these accomplishments, Schottenheimer’s inability to improve the Cowboys overall this season has left fans uneasy and unconvinced about his promotion. It will do little good for the offense to perform like it did two seasons ago if your defense continues to be a sieve, so the most important thing Brian must do is find a good defensive coordinator and honestly, former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus might be the best option.
