One of my favorite quotes of all time is from the great American poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” And yet, for the Cowboys (and mainly Jerry and Stephen Jones) it seems that they continually go only where a path has led while the trail they leave is likely laughed at by other franchises.
Schottenheimer is a career assistant who will be a first-time NFL head coach at the age of 51 after 14 seasons as an offensive coordinator. On top of that, the bulk of his resume has been average at best, which has resulted in the lackluster buzz.
It didn’t have to be this way. This is the fault of a front office that refuses to change itself.
Jerry Jones told us at this week’s press conference that this hire is out of his comfort zone because “this is as big a risk as you can take. No head coaching experience.” The reality is that he’s done this before. He promoted Dave Campo as a first-time head coach in 2000 at the age of 53 after he’d been a career-long assistant.
For Jones to say this hire is some huge, unfamiliar risk is just simply not true. He even seemed to understand the fan perception of this particular move when he said, “What I would say for the fans is that, yes, to some, this is a less than glamorous hire but what I would say to you is that I got here taking shots. This is risky. I think this might make something special. I'm all in here.”
He might be right, something special could happen. Hiring Schottenheimer might also colossally fail. No one knows. The problem is the Cowboys went with the easiest and most obvious path when given an opportunity to manifest a true culture shift. Jones is a team owner who has lied by telling us, “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do financially to get a Super Bowl” yet he underpays his coaching staff and refuses to go after top-level coaching candidates despite there being no salary cap for coaching staff pay.
Instead of pursuing candidates coveted by other franchises, the Cowboys hired someone whom no other team requested to interview for their head coach vacancy. I like Schottenheimer, and I think he has some very good attributes you’d want in a head coach, I just don’t believe he will be given the ability to fully display those within the confines of how this franchise is run.
I’ve had the opportunity to interview the new coach, and he indeed interviews well (insert eye roll). He comes across as a guy you’d want to play for and someone you can be motivated by. I’ve had the opportunity to interview all kinds of players and coaches at both the college and pro level in various sports in my radio career and there are a few that stick out in a highly positive way. He’s on that list.
During his time in Seattle as the play caller under Pete Carroll from 2018 to 2020, the Seahawks had a Top 4 rushing attack twice. They also finished in the Top 9 in points in all three seasons, averaging about 27 points a game for that three-season span. Perhaps he can continue what he began there in Dallas. I also love what Schottenheimer said during the introductory press conference about potential changes to the Dallas offense, one that seemed stale in the last season under Mike McCarthy.
Stephen Jones air quoting the 30-year championship drought and being dismissive of it, has Cowboys fans infuriated, this was wild! #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/YMI2v45X9z
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) January 27, 2025
“The starting point with me is things our players do well,” he said to reporters. “I’m a big believer in cut splits, in shifts and motions that distort things. We’re gonna do a great job of marrying our runs and our passes and make those look the same. The running game and the action passing game go hand in hand. There’s a tempo element that we’re excited to mix in that our players have all shown an affinity for.”
Ah, yes, but therein lies the rub. Will the front office supply the players to take advantage of these offensive philosophies? You need more than CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, regardless of how much you pay those two stars.
So, here we are.
But what type of success will Schottenheimer have in a division with a team that has been to the Super Bowl twice in the last three seasons and another team that just played in the NFC Championship with a rookie QB? What if the Giants hit it big on their QB of the future in the upcoming draft?
I believe Schottenheimer can be a good head coach, but his introductory press conference this week was a prime example of why this arrangement will likely never work. If you listened or watched, you found yourself annoyed with Stephen Jones for his seeming indifference to the idea this franchise is in a championship drought. I’m sure you were as perplexed as I was at Jerry for constantly bringing up the glory of 30 years ago.
But, if you go back and just listen to only the new coach while ignoring the two guys sitting on either side of him, you might’ve found yourself getting excited about who this head coach could be and the potential he offers. Fittingly, however, he was sitting between Jerry and Stephen, snugly positioned between the two sides of the Cowboys power vise-grip. You could almost see the two Joneses squeezing out any possible hope that a coaching change could offer.
