Schottenheimer interviews for the lead role

On By Littum

FRISCO, Texas – The search for the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys continues and is not exclusive to candidates currently outside the building. With several of those also interviewed, however, an internal magnifying glass has been sent to take a look at Brian Schottenheimer, the team’s current offensive coordinator, whose contract expired along with Mike McCarthy’s.

Schottenheimer, the son of the late, legendary Marty Schottenheimer — a former mentor of McCarthy’s and many other current and former coaches around the NFL — was interviewed for the head coaching vacancy in Dallas on Tuesday.

After joining the Cowboys in 2022 as a coaching analyst, the Schottenheimer heir was promoted to the role of offensive coordinator in 2023 following Kellen Moore’s departure from that role, and that’s where he has spent the last few seasons in Dallas.

Interestingly, he and Moore are now both vying for the right to be named McCarthy’s successor — Moore recently completed a virtual interview for the position before helping lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFC Championship Game.

It’s Schottenheimer who boasts the much longer resume of coaching experience between the two, even though he hadn’t called plays in Dallas during the McCarthy era.

His coaching career technically began immediately after becoming a national champion for the Florida Gators, taking on a role as an assistant for the (then) St. Louis Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs in the late 1990s before a collegiate stretch that included such a wide role receiving coach for USC.

He would then circle back to the NFL as the quarterbacks coach for the Washington (Commanders) in 2001. All told, Schottenheimer has been in the coaching ranks in one capacity – be it positionally and/or as an offensive coordinator – for about 28 years.

It’s that experience, along with his ability to relate to players, combined with familiarity in Dallas, that has the Cowboys very interested in hearing what his plan might be to turn the product around on the field.