Cowboys head coaching search has shocking darkhorse candidate emerge

The Dallas Cowboys started interviewing coaches this past Friday, with Kellen Moore meeting with them virtually. They followed that up with an in-person meeting with Robert Saleh, but they're expected to continue searching into February.

They're also expected to kick the tires on just about every possible candidate. This includes a shocking name that has a high probability of sending the entire fan base into a rage.

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Shan Shariff of 105.3 The Fan said he's hearing a "ton of buzz" inside the building about Brian Schottenheimer.

I am starting to hear a ton of buzz about Brian Schottenheimer inside the Star.

There is NO WAY I believe Jerry would ignite the fanbase with that hire, I’m just telling you what’s getting louder. #Cowboys
— Shan Shariff (@1053SS) January 18, 2025

Hired in 2022 as a coaching analyst, Schottenheimer took over as the offensive coordinator in 2023 when Kellen Moore wasn't retained. He held that title for two seasons with Dallas boasting the No. 2 offense in his first season.

This year, they fell off dramatically but that tends to happen when a franchise quarterback is lost for the season.

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, quarterback Dak Prescott, and running back Deuce Vaughn. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

While we can look past the struggles in 2024, we still can't give Schottenheimer all the credit in 2023. That's because head coach Mike McCarthy was the one who oversaw the offense and called the plays during games.

Schottenheimer is more than capable of calling plays but he's still not an exciting name when it comes to head coaching candidates. He also wouldn't bring about much change considering he's been on the staff for multiple seasons.

Shariff did state that Schottenheimer is unlikely to get hired but at this point, no one knows for sure what will happen.

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