Brian Schottenheimer is the Cowboys’ next head coach.
Their conclusion and how they arrived at it will be debated for weeks. However, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ experience was enough to lead him down the hall to Schottenheimer, a coach he knows well from his tenure under previous Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy.
“I know that Shotty is no stranger to these guys (players),” Jones said at Schottenheimer’s first news conference on Monday. “I know he’s not new to this place. I get my figurative ass stomped over when I need to be among individuals in my comfort zone. “This is the biggest risk you can take. Take as much risk as you are comfortable with. “No head coaching experience.”
Jones took a defensive stance Monday when asked why he chose Schottenheimer, the son of the late Marty Schottenheimer, as McCarthy’s replacement, citing his decades of experience as Cowboys owner for credibility before delving into what made Schottenheimer a qualified candidate.
“I have a good background in the makeup of what a coach is,” Jones explained in a lengthy response. “To make a judgment in an interview, I wouldn’t dare unless I spoke to many others who knew the person and had similar life experiences. I knew their story.
“We understand osmosis and the environment in which Shotty grew up. Honestly, from Shotty’s perspective, those X hairs crossed. Shotty, who joined Mike as a consultant three years ago, may not have been a part of our lives. I’ve had a few of meetings with Shotty. I’ve listened and watched him. I’ve seen him show deference to his head coach. He has shown respect for seasoned coaches like as Mike Zimmer, the defensive coordinator. I’ve seen him bite his lip when he didn’t necessarily agree with the direction. But he bit his lip, just as his father would have told him.
The Cowboys are depending on Schottenheimer’s pedigree and the familiarity that both parties share. They’re hoping that a coach who has never led a staff will succeed on his first try, bolstered by the fact that he already knows the organization’s intricacies. Jones agreed that it is a risk, but he saw it as important to restore his club’s status.
The hire has received a lot of criticism. Schottenheimer was not a highly sought-after candidate anywhere other than Dallas, and his hire came after a lengthy review period in which the Cowboys waited nearly a week before parting ways with McCarthy, costing them crucial interview time throughout the hiring process.
However, Jones believes Dallas already had a jewel in its building. That diamond simply needed to be polished and showcased to the world, which the Cowboys believe they are doing by hiring Schottenheimer.
“Now, let me share something with you; you’ve just heard him mention osmosis.” “His family,” Jones remarked of Schottenheimer. “Anyone in this room who doesn’t believe that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree has missed out somewhere down the road, especially if there was an effort to make it that way.”
“You go around to the innumerable coaches Shotty has worked with and been around. There are innumerable players. How frequently do you see someone with 25 years of
of functioning via human relationships?
“How often do you have the opportunity to experience all of that at the age of 50, which is a puppy. Nonetheless, he has had 25 years of experience with the types of things he will need to draw on as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. I like his luggage. I like his luggage. “I enjoy that experience.”
Naturally, in a quarterback-centric league, the signal-caller became a matter of discussion. Dak Prescott’s shortened 2024 season sparked new worries about their future under center and how Schottenheimer would collaborate with the quarterback, whom he labeled as “one of the best.”
“Iron Sharpens Iron. Dak and I have a fantastic relationship, just as I do.
“I have a fantastic relationship with all of these guys,” Schottenheimer added. “Dak and I know how to press each other’s buttons, and we can have difficult conversations. I giggle because I remember at training camp last year, a ball was intercepted, and we had a rule that if you threw an interception, you had to come out. So I pulled Dak out, and he said, ‘What?’ He pushed back. The competitor in him is unique.
“So I believe he and I are working together, along with the rest of the people, to put together the system. There will be modifications. There will be modifications. However, he’s the type of worker who affects an entire business, and I believe he
He and I have extremely similar perspectives on the offensive side of football. We’ll have a lot of communication going ahead about some of the ideas we have, whether it’s tempo or some of the different things we’re trying to do with our play-action passing game, run game, and so on. He’s easy to talk to, and I love and respect him, along with all the other guys.”
Some may wonder why the Cowboys let McCarthy go if they were only going to replace him with a lieutenant. Dallas’ leadership framed it favorably, stating that the Cowboys were looking for continuity while simultaneously making a move they believed was important.
Schottenheimer called McCarthy “one of my best friends,” recalling their time together in Dallas as “some incredible, incredible success.” He hopes to expand on that foundation by bringing his own style to the team, with the same aim that all 32 NFL coaches have as they begin a new season: win a Super Bowl.
“We are going to win. “And we’re going to win the championship,” Schottenheimer stated. “Otherwise, why are we doing it?”
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