Skip to main content
Join

Ian Rapoport details Cowboys promoting 'underwhelming' Brian Schottenheimer to head coach

by:Alex Byington•01/26/25•

_AlexByington

Brian Schottenheimer Dallas Cowboys head coach contract details
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys dropped the ultimate Friday night news dump when they announced the hiring of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as the Cowboys’ new head coach at 9:45 pm ET, Jan. 24.

It was interesting timing, mostly given the brevity of the Dallas coaching search, which lasted just 11 days since the team officially moved on from Mike McCarthy after five years at the helm on Jan. 13.

NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport pulled back the curtain on how the hiring went down, acknowledging the “underwhelming” reaction from Cowboys fans to the Schottenheimer promotion.

“(The Cowboys) did a very short search, shorter than most I can remember, only interviewed a couple of people — Robert Saleh, Leslie Frazier, Kellen Moore — the Eagles OC — and then landed on Brian Schottenheimer,” Rapoport reported Sunday morning. “Something that probably seems a little underwhelming to say the least for Cowboys fans, but inside the building they believe Schottenheimer can lead. And certainly something Dak Prescott can support.

“I can also say, a favorite to be his defensive coordinator is Matt Eberflus, the former Bears head coach who of course was on the Cowboys staff several years ago. That would be an excellent hire for them. But Brian Schottenheimer, against all odds, the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

The Cowboys initially hired Schottenheimer as a consultant in 2022. However, he was promoted to offensive coordinator on Feb. 4, 2023. Now, Schottenheimer will take the final step on the staff ladder and have a chance to lead the Cowboys.

The Cowboys averaged 328.4 yards per game this past season under Schottenheimer’s guidance. While the figure still ranked in the top half of the league, the Cowboys were at a disadvantage, with key offensive players like Prescott and wide receiver Brandin Cooks missing large chunks of the season due to injury.

Michael Irvin bashes Dallas Cowboys for hiring from within, passing on Deion Sanders

Cowboys Hall of Famer Michael Irvin shared his thoughts on the team’s new head coach. And he wasn’t pleased on Saturday night.

In an NSFW video he posted, Irvin let everyone know that he was disappointed with the hire of Brian Schottenheimer as the Dallas next head coach. “We lost an opportunity here,” Irvin said. “I was pushing for Deion Sanders to be the next head coach. And I still stand ten toes down on that push,” he said in an article written by ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio.

The Hall of Famer isn’t happy that Dallas will be sitting at home watching a couple of division rivals compete for a spot in this year’s Super Bowl.

“We have two NFC East teams in the NFC Championship game being played tomorrow,” Irvin said. “All eyes on them. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders. Our enemies on all fronts. . . And [in] a position that we haven’t held in 30 f***ing years.”

Nick Kokso and Wade Peery contributed to this report.