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Tony Romo Reveals Dallas Cowboys Edge In Schottenheimer Hire

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated May 7, 2025 5:17 PM ET

The coaching search for the Dallas Cowboys to replace Mike McCarthy wasn't exactly an extensive one, much to the displeasure of fans and media alike.

But Jerry Jones and the front office had a front-row seat to Brian Schottenheimer as McCarthy's offensive coordinator last year, so he was known in the building, which may have been a big factor in his hiring.

While not everyone was pleased with the Schottenheimer hire, given it wasn't a splashy one like Deion Sanders would have been, and for former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who spoke exclusively with Ryan Sanudo of The U.S. Sun, there are a host of positives that come with Schotty's hiring.

"You know, it may not have been the flashiest hiring, but I will say he's been in that building and so everyone around has been able to evaluate him and the way that he communicates to the players ... to other coaches, the front office, all of that matters," Romo said.

The familiarity was a big thing in Schottenheimer's hiring, mostly for Dak Prescott, who the Cowboys made the highest-paid quarterback in football.

You want to put Dak in the best situation to succeed, and having a new head coach with different terminology and offensive scheme isn't ideal at this stage of Prescott's career.

Schottenheimer was riding shotgun last season, Dak knows him as a coordinator, and now as a coach. Plus, the rest of the roster knows Schottenheimer, and it has been clear from Day 1 that everyone is buying what he's selling, and that is half the battle.

"When you hire a coach who's in the building, you know everything about him and you know what his strengths and weaknesses are, and so they saw a lot of positive things that he did that are going to affect the team, coaches, front office, and the entire building," added Romo, now the lead voice at CBS Sports.

He's genuine, loves what he does, and emphasizes relationships, which he's been working hard on since he was hired. We've heard the Osa Odighizuwa champagne story and the Whataburger story—it's all real. Schottenheimer talked the talk, and he's walking the walk.

So yes, the hire wasn't a glamorous one, but that doesn't mean it wasn't the right one, and if Romo is on board with Schottenheimer as head coach, then you don't need to look any further for validation of Dallas' decision.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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