Cowboys hire Brian Schottenheimer as head coach

Brian Schottenheimer is the 10th head coach in franchise history.

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys just made a decision on the 10th head coach in franchise history.

Following a very limited search, Brian Schottenheimer was named the successor to Mike McCarthy.

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Schottenheimer spent the past three seasons with the franchise, with the last two as offensive coordinator.

Cowboys are hiring offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach, Jerrry Jones tells ESPN.

“Brian Schottenheimer is known as a career assistant,” Jones said. “He ain’t Brian no more. He is now known as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.” pic.twitter.com/JtGoltP1mC

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 25, 2025

He was a surprising candidate during a cycle with some of the hottest names but in the end, the familiarity was enough for Jerry Jones to make the move.

There were no reports of Dallas reaching out to Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn, who were the top targets this cycle. They did speak with Deion Sanders and Pete Carroll, but those conversations never progressed to actual interviews.

Instead, Jones only interviewed Robert Saleh, Kellen Moore, and Leslie Frazier before having Schottenheimer interview twice.

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Schottenheimer, the son of legendary NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, grew up around the game and has been coaching at the NFL or NCAA level since 1997.

He’s had some success as an offensive coordinator but overall wasn’t seen as a legitimate candidate, leading to some harsh criticism from Colin Cowherd recently.

A first time head coach, Schottenheimer will get a chance to prove the doubters wrong. It won’t be easy, buthe has the trust of quarterback Dak Prescott, which should help.

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