The Dallas Cowboys are searching for a head coach, and one coach seems to have become the front-runner.
Most Cowboys fans know the coach, who has been on the staff for a few years but has not held a head coaching position in his entire career.
For some reason, not being a head coach in the past matters now, but here we are, and fans are complaining about the coach’s experience.
Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson have zero head coaching experience but were fan favorites. What makes this coach any different from them besides being on a winning team?
Dallas Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is the potential front-runner for the head coach position and could be a good coach.
Brian Schottenheimer’s Coaching Resume
As an assistant coach, Brian Schottenheimer’s coaching career began in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams in 1997. He moved to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998 as an assistant coach.
In 1999, he went to the NCAA and became the wide receiver coach at Syracuse. In 2000, he went to USC, where he was the tight end coach.
He returned to the NFL in 2001, becoming the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins. The following year, he went to the San Diego Chargers, where he held the same coaching position from 2002 to 2005.
Schottenheimer joined the New York Jets in 2006 and held the offensive coordinator position from 2006 to 2011.
In early 2007, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was a strong candidate to replace Nick Saban after he departed from the Miami Dolphins.
However, Schottenheimer decided to remain with the New York Jets.
Following Eric Mangini’s exit as head coach at the conclusion of the 2008 NFL season, Schottenheimer was among the first candidates interviewed for the position.
Although he wasn’t selected, Rex Ryan from the Baltimore Ravens took the role, and his coaching prowess was acknowledged.
On January 13, 2010, Schottenheimer reaffirmed his commitment by announcing his continued role as the Jets’ offensive coordinator, opting not to chase the head coaching opportunity with the Buffalo Bills.
From 2012 through 2014, Brian Schottenheimer went to the St. Louis Rams as the offensive coordinator.
The NCAA called his name again in 2015, and he went to the Georgia Bulldogs as their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Mark Richt was fired at Georgia at the end of the 2015 season, and Coach Scottenheimer returned to the NFL as the quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
From 2018 through 2020, he was the offensive coordinator for Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks.
Doug Pederson hired him as the passing game coordinator on the Jacksonville Jaguars staff in 2021, but Pederson was let go that season.
Finally, we have made it to the Dallas Cowboys. Brian Schottenheimer was hired by the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 as a coaching analyst.
In 2023, Coach Schottenheimer was promoted to offensive coordinator.
What a coaching career this man has had, but the experience gained from various coaching styles could be a blessing in disguise of a terrible career.
Schottenheimer’s Offensive Statistics
The Dallas Cowboys’ head Coach, Mike McCarthy, called plays last year and the year before. In both years, Brian Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator.
McCarthy may have called the plays, but Schottenheimer had input.
In his first season as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, the team was second in win-loss percentage, giveaways, and point differential.
The offense this past season was without several key starters, ranging from quarterback to the offensive line. It was not a good offensive season for the Cowboys.
However, even with a backup quarterback and musical chairs on the offensive line, the passing offense was still 11th in yards, 13th in touchdowns, and 22nd in interceptions.
Schottenheimer’s Offensive Tendencies
Brian Schottenheimer’s offenses have not been pass-heavy when he has full control, and he also did not have a Dak Prescott in past coaching stops.
The numbers show his offensive tendencies are run-heavy.
In 14 years as an offensive coordinator, his offensives have ranked 14th or better in rushing yards seven times. They ranked 4th in rushing yards in 2010 and 2019 and 1st in 2009 and 2018.
He only had a top-ten passing offense during his two years in Dallas.
He likes the play-action and sets this up nicely with a strong run game. Dak Prescott’s best numbers come when using the play-action, which could be good news for the offense.
Relying on the run so heavily could result in a running back being taken early in the draft, which many fans want.
Overall, hiring Brian Schottenheimer would not be the best choice, but his familiarity with the offense and his connection to the players could be the best for this team.
The front-runner has emerged as the coaching search continues, and it may not be as bad as it sounds.