The Cowboys cannot interview Kellen Moore again until at least next week, and if the Eagles reach Super Bowl LIX, no reunion can commence until February 10. That delay could contribute to one of the more shocking hires in recent NFL history.
As of now, Moore and Brian Schottenheimer may be the finalists for this job, WFAA’s Ed Werder notes. But Schottenheimer, who has not sat down for another known HC interview in the 2020s, appears a serious candidate after his two-day Cowboys meeting.
Working as Mike McCarthy‘s OC for the past two seasons, Schottenheimer met with the Cowboys for a lengthy interview that ended up lasting two days. Whether the second part of the meeting constituted a second interview or not, Jerry Jones appears to have another unorthodox hire on his radar. Going further here, All DLLS’ Clarence Hill indicates a Schottenheimer deal to be Dallas’ next HC should be done today or Friday.
The second day of Schottenheimer’s summit with Cowboys brass involved a five-plus-hour meeting, and although that pushed the sides’ total interview time past eight hours, NFL.com’s Jane Slater indicates nothing is imminent regarding a hire.
Jones has regularly zagged with his coaches. He has also promoted from within previously. Prior to giving interim HC Jason Garrett the full-time job in 2011, the longtime owner elevated Dave Campo to replace Chan Gailey in 2000. Schottenheimer, 51, has been in the NFL since 2001 — when he debuted as father Marty‘s QBs coach with Washington — and has been a three-time OC. The Jets employed Brian Schottenheimer in that role from 2006-11, and the Rams hired him in 2012. After that three-year stint, Schottenheimer did not receive another OC opportunity until the Seahawks hired him in 2018. Seattle fired the second-generation NFL coach in 2021, leading him to a pass-game coordinator post for the Urban Meyer-run Jaguars and then an analyst gig in Dallas.
With the Commanders securing a spot in the NFC championship game, the Cowboys now have the conference’s longest drought of reaching that round. The Bears, who last qualified for the NFC title game in 2010, are the closest team to the Cowboys, who famously have not played for a conference championship since their Super Bowl XXX-winning season in 1995. Jones, whose separation from Jimmy Johnson after the 1993 season provided a fairly clear line of demarcation for the franchise (its Barry Switzer-coached Super Bowl XXX title notwithstanding), has faced steady criticism over his decisions. This one coming to pass would undoubtedly crank up the heat on the scrutinized owner.
Jones’ head coaching processes have been unusual. Calls for Garrett’s ouster rang out for years, but the criticized HC lasted through the 2019 season. It took several days after that season wrapped for clarity to emerge, and Jones’ replacement search consisted of just two names — McCarthy and Marvin Lewis. After making McCarthy the rare lame-duck HC despite three straight 12-win seasons, Jones did not resolve the situation until a week after Black Monday, going so far as to block the Bears from meeting with McCarthy in that span. McCarthy remains in the mix for the Saints’ HC post.
The Cowboys join the Jaguars, Saints and Raiders in still pursuing a head coach. Schottenheimer has not been connected to any of those jobs, and while the Cowboys led the NFL in scoring during Dak Prescott‘s most recent full season (2023), McCarthy was the team’s primary play-caller following the Moore separation. Moore could regain some steam here, but he is still in the mix for the Jags and Saints’ positions.
Moore having played in Dallas and then begun his coaching career there — during a tenure highlighted by a four-year OC stint — may end up mattering, but the coach who succeeded him appears a genuine threat to score a massive upset and land this position.
If you had asked me before anyone’s offseason began to come up with a list of uninspiring head coach candidates, every name on my list would still have been more inspiring than Brian Schottenheimer.
With all of the fan hate of this potential hire, I doubt Jerry goes this direction. I still think they will settle with Kellen Moore, but u never know. If Schottenheimer is the hire it will be a middle finger to all us fans and critics, and maybe that’s what Jerry wants to do. A grumpy old man showing us all who is boss. Who knows.
Whoever settles for this job had better be one hell of a yes man…
I like the idea of Schottenheimer as HC. Instead of mindless following other teams into chasing after a handful of innovative Coordinators who have been successful, Jerry Jones is searching among the boring coordinators who have a proven track record of mediocrity. I think in a few years, the Cowboys will be less disappointed than most of the teams that hired HC’s with potential.
The Cowboys will be a distant 3rd in their own division and saddled with a mediocre QB for the next few years so they might as well hire a mediocre coach too