Brian Schottenheimer shares big admission about getting Cowboys' HC job

Brian Schottenheimer served as a consultant (2022) and, later, as offensive coordinator (2023-24) with the Dallas Cowboys before he was promoted to the role of head coach after the club parted ways with Mike McCarthy this past January.

During a recent chat with Michael Silver of The Athletic, Schottenheimer revealed that he initially "believed he would be clearing out his office" after Dallas finished last season with a record of 7-10 and he was looking "to pursue a play-calling role elsewhere."

"Too many people look so far ahead," Schottenheimer said during his conversation with Silver. "Just do the best job at where you are, and I really believe that. Because if I wasn’t in this building (the previous three years), I’m not in this spot now. I mean, that’s real. Otherwise, I’m not the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Because it wasn’t like I was a hot name."

Previous reports noted that Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott wanting "continuity" regarding the offense was a big reason Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones and Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones decided to make Schottenheimer a first-time head coach. Prescott signed a four-year contract extension reportedly worth $240M with $231M guaranteed last September that Dallas seemingly can't escape anytime soon. 

According to Silver, another thing "working heavily in Schottenheimer’s favor was his institutional knowledge" of a franchise that is "essentially run by the Jones family and a tight group of longtime confidantes while perpetually in the glare of the spotlight." That's all well and good, but such familiarity could mean little if Schottenheimer fails to guide the Cowboys back to the playoffs in his first season as head coach. 

At the start of the week, Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith made it known that he feels winning the Super Bowl is "always the expectation" for the Cowboys. Dallas hasn't played in an NFC Championship Game since January 1996, and Prescott is responsible for a 2-5 career playoff record. 

"He knows the building," Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay added about Schottenheimer. "He understands the people, and then he understands the players. He knows the lay of the land. He knows they’re gonna talk about us in the media and all the (expletive) that goes with it."

McClay's comments indicate that Schottenheimer may realize the Jones family could reach out to a big-name candidate such as legendary college head coach Nick Saban in January 2026 if Dallas misses the playoffs for a second straight year.