The Dallas Cowboys concluded their 11-day head coach search on Friday by promoting Brian Schottenheimer, their offensive coordinator since 2023, to the team’s top position.
Despite having 14 years of experience as an offensive coordinator with four different teams, Schottenheimer had never held a head coaching role before. He now becomes just the 10th head coach in the 65-year history of “America’s Team.”
The decision was met with criticism from analysts and fans alike. Fansided’s Cowboys blog The Landry Hat described the hire as proof the team had become “a laughingstock.” Fox Sports called the hiring process “bizarre,” while social media was rife with fans threatening to “boycott” the team over what they labeled a “joke” of a hire.
During the search, the Cowboys conducted only two interviews with candidates who had prior head coaching experience: former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier, who led the Minnesota Vikings for four years before his tenure ended in 2013.
Notable prospects such as former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn were overlooked. Both have since accepted head coaching roles—Johnson with the Chicago Bears and Glenn with the New York Jets.
Jerry Jones Looked Toward the Patriot Way
It was later revealed that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had also pursued three former head coaches with ties to the New England Patriots, the team that holds the NFL record for the most Super Bowl championships (six). While the Cowboys boast five championships, they have not won since 1995.
Both franchises debuted in 1960, but the Patriots joined the AFL, while the Cowboys were NFL members from the outset. The Patriots have since appeared in 11 Super Bowls, compared to the Cowboys’ eight appearances.
According to Diana Russini of The Athletic, Jones was interested in former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, a former Patriots linebacker. However, by the time Jones fired head coach Mike McCarthy on January 13, Vrabel had already been hired by the Patriots the previous day.
Russini suggested Patriots owner Robert Kraft expedited Vrabel’s hiring, knowing Jones’ interest. “A lot of people don’t know that,” Russini said in a podcast. “Guess who knew that? Robert Kraft knew that. Robert Kraft knew the Jones family had an interest [in Mike Vrabel].”
Carroll and Belichick Also Considered
Vrabel wasn’t the only former Patriots coach on Jones’ radar. Pete Carroll, a Super Bowl-winning coach with the Seattle Seahawks, had also coached the Patriots from 1997 to 1999, leading them to two playoff appearances and winning one postseason game. Carroll and Schottenheimer previously worked together when Schottenheimer was his offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2020.
According to DallasCowboys.com, Carroll appeared to have “exceedingly great odds” of landing the head coaching role. However, following conversations with Jones, Carroll withdrew from consideration and signed a multi-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders instead.
Jones also reportedly had interest in legendary Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who led New England to six Super Bowl victories during his tenure from 2000 to 2023.
Jones and Belichick have long been linked, with Jones previously stating that he could “work with” the coach. However, Belichick took a head coaching role in college football at the University of North Carolina. Speculation that Jones might lure him back to the NFL arose when reports suggested Belichick had yet to sign his contract after nearly two months.
On Wednesday, Belichick finally signed his deal with UNC, and two days later, Jones officially hired Schottenheimer.
