What Schottenheimer’s signing means for Prescott and the Cowboys


FRISCO, Texas – From Tom Landry to Brian Schottenheimer.

Schottenheimer was named the Dallas Cowboys’ 10th coach on Friday and the ninth during 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 help the Cowboys get over the proverbial hump, but Dallas has the longest NFC championship game drought in the conference at 29 years and the Washington Commanders reached 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 interviews with big names, although he did have a conversation with Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the head coach of the University of Colorado. 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 signing, including what comes next. National reporter Jeremy Fowler talks about what he’s hearing about the signing and draft analyst Matt Miller previews the draft. Finally, analyst Ben Solak rates the hiring.

What is Schottenheimer’s coaching experience?

He is the son of a coach. His father, Marty, was a head coach in Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego. Marty’s 200 wins are the 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, 14 of those years as offensive coordinator, including the last two with the Cowboys, although he did not call plays. He was the play-caller for the New York Jets (2006 to 2011), Rams (2012-2014) and Seahawks (2018-2020).

He is best known as a rushing 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 passing game coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars after Urban Meyer was fired. — archer


Why did Schottenheimer get the job instead of people like Moore and Sanders?

If Sanders was never interviewed for the position, was he really a candidate? According to sources, Moore did well in his virtual meeting with the club. Perhaps the timing affected his candidacy as the Eagles are still alive in the playoffs.

But Schottenheimer had a backup 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 offensive start in 2023, some believed Schottenheimer played a role 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 dismiss familiarity. Despite only being around three seasons, Schottenheimer has developed good relationships with every part of the organization. And it’s hard to discount the cost. While it’s unknown how much he’ll earn, Jones isn’t a big fan of paying coaches a lot of money or having a big staff. — 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 to the Tennessee Titans. Some assistants have been told they won’t return, but the Cowboys would like to keep some, such as 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 the leading candidate for defensive coordinator, sources told Fowler. Eberflus was an assistant for the Cowboys from 2011 to 2017.

Since Schottenheimer has been in nine different organizations, he knows a lot of people around the league. — archer


Will the 2025 Cowboys roster be good enough to compete for a Super Bowl?

Jerry Jones will say it at some point, but this is a roster that needs work on both sides of the ball after a 7-10 finish in 2024. The Cowboys suffered several injuries to key players, but that’s not the only reason. Why did they end so badly? Even when the roster was healthy, the team struggled.

But the roster structure is good enough to compete with Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb, LB Micah Parsons, G Tyler Smith and CB DaRon Bland. The Cowboys 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 big snaps in 2024 and will need to improve in 2025. And they will need to keep key players who will become free agents like CB Jourdan Lewis. and coach Osa Odighizuwa, while adding players in free agency. — archer


What are you hearing around the league about recruiting?

The coaches, executives and industry people I spoke to were surprised that Schottenheimer made it to the top of Jerry Jones’ list, ahead of seemingly more qualified candidates. Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, a former Cowboys player and former CO 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 league sources as to why a Schottenheimer tenure could be successful. He will 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 build a good staff, potentially including Eberflus as DC. Schottenheimer has been around a long time and has seen a lot; He may not have the prestige of some of those mentioned as possibilities for the position, but he also projects as someone who can provide a steady hand to an organization that seems to attract chaos at every turn. — hunter


What do the Cowboys need most in Round 1 of the draft and who could be available at No. 12 overall?

Anything 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, 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 in the running game if available. Jeanty ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, leading the FBS in both categories. He’ll likely be the highest-ranked player on the board (he’s No. 6 in my rankings) when Dallas moves up, but the Cowboys crave playmakers throughout 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. — Miller


How would you rate this hire?

DO. What was the point of leaving McCarthy to promote his offensive coordinator? Is anything going to change schematically with another branch of 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 he’s been an offensive coordinator his entire life and was, just two years ago, an offensive analyst. Schottenheimer is not viewed as a boundary-pushing head coaching candidate. –solak



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