Cowboys Make Announcement on Brian Schottenheimer Amid Rumors

It’s only been a little more than two weeks since the end of the Cowboys‘ 2024 season, and in that short amount of time, there’s been a bit of a roller coaster of emotions for the Dallas faithful. First, it appeared that the team was trending toward keeping coach Mike McCarthy in place despite the disappointing 7-10 finish to the season.

That might have made some sense–McCarthy appeared to have the backing of the team’s star players like Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott–but given McCarthy’s 1-3 playoff record, it would have been a rather bland way to enter the new season. Ultimately, talks with McCarthy broke off, though.

Then it was on to Deion Sanders, the popular and controversial ex-Cowboys star who has led Colorado football back to prominence. Sanders and owner Jerry Jones spoke by phone after McCarthy’s dismissal. That would not have been a safe move, and it would have been an expensive move. But it certainly would have brought a jolt of excitement.

Alas, that, too, petered out. Since then, it’s been back to the more banal choices. Former Cowboys OC Kellen Moore was interviewed, as was Robert Saleh, who struggled in his time with the dysfunctional Jets. Former Vikings head coach and longtime defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier was in the mix, too.

Cowboys OC Brian Schottenheimer Gets His Chance

But on Tuesday, rumors began swirling about a different name, one that caused great angst among Cowboys fans: offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. He was not hard to reach, obviously, having spent the last three seasons as part of McCarthy staff in Dallas. But the Cowboys moved quickly, interviewing him that day.

The announcement came from the Cowboys that night:

“We have completed an in-person interview with Brian Schottenheimer for our Head Coach position.”

Schottenheimer is an experienced coach. He is just 51 years old but as the son of former head coach Marty Schottenheimer, he was given opportunities to get into the sport early. He was an assistant with the Rams as far back as 1997, when he was just 24.

Schottenheimer has never been a head coach but he has spent 14 years as an offensive coordinator, including the last two for Dallas. He’s spent eight years as a quarterbacks coach and was in the collegiate ranks for three seasons. He spent one year, 2022, as a consultant for the Cowboys.

Head Coach Coming Sooner Than Expected?

On Tuesday, Shan Shariff of 105.3 in Dallas reported that, “Hearing an offer could be coming soon for Brian Schottenheimer. #Cowboys #ShanandRJ.” That means this Cowboys search could, possibly, end much faster than expected. 

Over the weekend, in a video posted on the Dallas Morning News website, beat writer Calvin Watkins said this could drag on past the Super Bowl.  “Those three initial candidates are just the beginning for the Cowboys. … The Cowboys will take this probably into mid-February before they make a final decision,” Watkins said.

Alas, that does not appear to be the case, not if the Cowboys move quickly on Schottenheimer.