Brian Schottenheimer - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Promote Brian Schottenheimer To OC

February 4th, 2023 at 2:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys’ search for a new offensive coordinator has ended in unsurprising fashion. The team announced on Saturday that Brian Schottenheimer has been promoted to the OC position.

Dallas parted ways with Kellen Moore after he had guided their offense for the past four seasons. That stretch included three seasons of high-end production in the regular season with a healthy Dak Prescott under center, but reports have since emerged citing strife between Moore (who has since landed with the Chargers) and head coach Mike McCarthy after the Cowboys’ season came to an end with an underwhelming loss to the 49ers for the second straight year.

With the latter set to handle play-calling duties, Dallas’ search for Moore’s successor ended up being rather brief. It was reported earlier this week that Schottenheimer would be a name to watch for the position, given his experience with the team and serving as an OC elsewhere around the NFL. The 49-year-old worked with the Cowboys as an offensive consultant in 2022, but has helped guide the offenses of the Jets, Rams and Seahawks previously.

“I am very happy to have Brian take on this key role with our team,” McCarthy said in a statement, via the team’s website. “He has been an important part of our staff already and has a great grasp of where we are and where we want to go.

“Brian has an exceptionally strong foundation, history and relationships beyond his time here that translates very well into understanding what our approach to operating and executing will be for the future. This will be an exciting and efficient transition for us that I am confident will help yield the growth and results we all want and expect.”

Schottenheimer will take on an increased role from his previous capacity in Dallas, looking to improve a unit which ranked fourth in scoring in the NFL last season. Uncertainty remains regarding their backfield tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, while additions are expected to be made in the pass-catching corps. Of course, Schottenheimer, McCarthy and the rest of the staff will principally be judged by their performance in the postseason as the post-Moore era begins on offense.

Cowboys To Interview Jeff Nixon For OC Vacancy

January 31st, 2023 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

For the first time in Dak Prescott‘s career, the Cowboys are on the lookout for a new offensive coordinator. With Kellen Moore headed to Los Angeles, their search for his replacement is set to begin.

Dallas is set to interview Panthers running backs coach Jeff Nixon for the OC position, reports Joe Person of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 48-year-old began his NFL coaching career with the Eagles in 2007, spending time there as an assistant on both offense and special teams. That led him to the Dolphins, where he took on the familiar role of exclusively coaching running backs.

Nixon spent four years in Miami, then one in San Francisco before working alongside Matt Rhule at Baylor. He joined the latter in Carolina upon his hire in 2020, and has been with the Panthers since. Nixon has once again been primarily working with the team’s running backs, but he also took over the interim OC role in 2021 following the dismissal of Joe Brady. In 2022, Nixon maintained senior offensive assistant as part of his title.

This past season saw the Panthers’ ground game lose its most potent weapon after Christian McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers midseason. In spite of that, the team still finished 10th in the league in rushing, averaging 130 yards per game on the ground. That element of their offense – driven by D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard following the McCaffrey deal – helped keep Carolina in the hunt for a playoff spot deep into the season despite their disastrous start under Rhule.

Nixon (who also interviewed for OC vacancies with the Jaguars and Raiders last offseason) is also a candidate to remain on staff in Carolina under new head coach Frank Reich. Should he depart, though, he could take on a sizeable role in a Cowboys offense which impressed in the regular season but fell short in the playoffs during Moore’s tenure. Dallas’ hire to fill the vacancy will not call plays, though, as head coach Mike McCarthy is reportedly set to assume those duties.

Another, internal, option for the Cowboys to consider is Brian Schottenheimer. The veteran staffer has OC experience with the Jets, Rams and Seahawks and served as a consultant in Dallas this past season. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer names the 49-year-old as a candidate to watch as the Cowboys’ search for Moore’s replacement starts to take shape in the coming days.

Cowboys Add Brian Schottenheimer To Staff

March 24th, 2022 at 4:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After spending a season in Jacksonville with Urban Meyer, Brian Schottenheimer will resurface in Dallas. The Cowboys hired the veteran offensive coordinator as a consultant Thursday.

This will be Schottenheimer’s first run with the Cowboys and first time coaching under Mike McCarthy, who is entering his third season as Dallas’ HC. Schottenheimer is expected to help on both sides of the ball.

Schottenheimer, 48, ended last season as the Jaguars’ play-caller, taking over for interim HC Darrell Bevell. Schottenheimer and Bevell were Meyer’s top offensive assistants, but they took on more responsibility after the Jags fired Meyer in mid-December. The Cowboys will be Schottenheimer’s ninth NFL team.

An NFL staffer going back to 1997, the second-generation coach has been an OC for three teams. He will join McCarthy and OC Kellen Moore among Cowboys offensive decision-makers. Ben McAdoo served as a Cowboys consultant last season, helping both the team’s offensive and defensive staffs make weekly preparations. McAdoo left recently to become Carolina’s offensive coordinator. Formerly an OC with the Jets, Rams and Seahawks, Schottenheimer worked as the Jags’ QBs coach for most of last season.

Brian Schottenheimer To Call Jaguars’ Plays

December 20th, 2021 at 1:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer will call the plays for the rest of the season, interim head coach Darrell Bevell announced (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Bevell is, of course, an experienced offensive coordinator, but he’s handing things over to Schottenheimer so that he can focus on his HC duties over the next few weeks.

Bevell may be a candidate for the permanent HC post and the final few games of the season may impact his candidacy. Schottenheimer, meanwhile, has an opportunity to re-establish himself in the coaching ranks. He hasn’t gotten great results out of No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, but few Jaguars players have shined this year. Now, Schottenheimer has a chance to display his offensive acumen and show the league that he wasn’t the problem in Jacksonville.

Schottenheimer, 48, has more than two decades of coaching experience under his belt. He got his first crack at being an offensive coordinator with the Jets in 2006 and proceeded to spend six years in New York. He later served as offensive coordinator for the Rams and at Georgia. Following his brief collegiate stint, he returned to the NFL as the Colts quarterbacks coach. In 2018, he was hired as the Seahawks offensive coordinator to replace Bevell. He spent three seasons in Seattle, and, despite Seeattle setting a single-season franchise record for points scored, he was fired in January of 2021.

Jaguars Expected To Overhaul Coaching Staff

November 21st, 2021 at 3:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars’ coaching staff figures to look pretty different next year. Offseason firings are “inevitable” at this point, according to sources who spoke with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Trevor Lawrence has yet to live up to his billing in Jacksonville, prompting some internal debate about whether the Jaguars should replicate his system from Clemson. Heading into today’s game, the No. 1 overall pick had completed just 58% of his throws for 1,983 yards and eight touchdowns against nine interceptions. His work on the ground — 37 carries for 169 yards and two scores — hasn’t been enough to offset the bad reads, nor has it approached his rushing work at Clemson. Lawrence, playing against lesser defenders in the NCAA, managed 766 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns between 2019 and 200.

Meyer, who is in favor of gearing the offense towards the Tigers’, finds himself at odds with several of his assistants. Wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal and running backs coach Bernie Parmalee could be on the chopping block, per JLC’s sources. And, if things don’t improve for Lawrence this year, quarterbacks coach Brian Schottenheimer may also find himself on the hot seat.

“It starts with execution,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said last week (via the team website). “That’s really our focus this week, being on our details and being able to execute.”

Unfortunately, the Jaguars failed to execute today, losing 30-10 to the 49ers. Now at 2-8 on the year, they’ll try to improve next week when they host the Falcons in Jacksonville.

Jaguars To Hold QB Competition

June 16th, 2021 at 11:43am CST by Zachary Links

Trevor Lawrence is the Jaguars’ quarterback of the future, but that doesn’t mean he’s their starter of the present. On Wednesday, Jags passing game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer stressed that the team has yet to name its QB1.

“It’s still too early to say how this thing’s going to play out,” Schottenheimer said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco).

Gardner Minshew was the Jaguars’ rookie sensation not too long ago and he’s still on the roster as Lawrence’s expected QB2. At the same time, there’s been months of trade speculation around him. In 2019, Minshew set franchise records in yards (3,271) and touchdowns (21) for rookie QBs. Last year, he flip-flopped with Mike Glennon amidst the Jags’ 15-game losing streak. All in all, he was 1-7 in his starts with 2,259 yards and 16 touchdowns against five interceptions. Needless to say, it was assumed that the No. 1 overall pick would start immediately.

For his part, Lawrence says he’s still getting to know the playbook. So, presumably, he’s okay with competing for his spot alongside Minshew and the rest of the camp QBs, including Tim Tebow.

“I want to just master the offense,” Lawrence said. “I want to have complete control, know everything and be comfortable. You can’t really play free and play really well if you don’t know what you’re doing. That’s the goal, to master the offense by the time training camp comes around so in training camp we can focus everything forward on being the best team we can come August 14 and then going on into the regular season as well.”

Jaguars Add Brian Schottenheimer To Coaching Staff

February 1st, 2021 at 8:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Urban Meyer is making some final touches to his coaching staff. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars are hiring Brian Schottenheimer as their new passing game coordinator.

In Jacksonville, the 47-year-old will likely be in charge of a new-look passing attack. It seems like a foregone conclusion that the Jaguars will select Trevor Lawrence with the first-overall pick, and the organization is still rostering Gardner Minshew and Jake Luton. Schottenheimer will be working under new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.

We learned last week that Meyer was eyeing a number of candidates for the role of quarterbacks coach, including Mark Brunell (who has since joined the Lions), former Chargers HC Mike McCoy, and former Buccaneers and Giants OC Mike Sullivan. It’s uncertain if Schottenheimer will inherit the responsibilities of that role, or perhaps the Jaguars will look to add yet another offensive mind to their coaching staff.

Schottenheimer has been coaching for more than two decades. He got his first crack at being an offensive coordinator with the Jets in 2006, and he proceeded to spend six years in New York. He later served as offensive coordinator for the Rams and at Georgia. Following his brief collegiate stint, he returned to the NFL as the Colts quarterbacks coach. In 2018, he was hired as the Seahawks offensive coordinator, where he replaced (coincidentally) Bevell. He spent three seasons in Seattle, and despite the Seahawks setting a franchise record for points scored in a season, he was let go following the 2020 campaign.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Golden, 49ers

January 29th, 2021 at 6:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second time in three years, K.J. Wright is a free agent. The longest-tenured Seahawks player has already signed three contracts with the franchise that drafted him. He is eager to ink a fourth.

“I’m having fun; I love this city. I love this team, so let’s make it happen,” Wright said of a return to Seattle, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. “… (A return is) up to Pete (Carroll) and John (Schneider). They know how much I mean to this team. They know I’m a great teammate, a great leader and it would be a great investment — in my opinion — if they invest in K.J. and to bring him back into the building. You get what you pay for, and I bring a lot to the table still.”

Wright, 31, does not sound interested in a hometown discount, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter). The Seahawks have paired Wright and Bobby Wagner for nine seasons and used both as sub-package linebackers for most of the 2020 slate. But Seattle drafting Jordyn Brooks in last year’s first round could complicate a Wright return. Pro Football Focus rated Wright as its No. 8 overall ‘backer this past season.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

The Seahawks were not planning to part ways with OC Brian Schottenheimer, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes an end-of-season meeting — in which Carroll reinforced his preference to focus on the run game — helped lead to the team changing play-callers. The Seahawks deviated in the season’s first half from Carroll’s run-centric vision but reverted more toward their usual setup down the stretch. It will be interesting to see how Seattle’s offense looks under new OC Shane Waldron, who spent five years in Washington and Los Angeles working under Sean McVay.
Markus Golden‘s sack total dropped from 10 in 2019 to 4.5 in 2020, and the Cardinals saw Haason Reddick complete a contract-year breakout. Still, the older Arizona edge rusher would like to return. “It gave me another shock of energy just being back home,” Golden said of the trade that sent him from the Giants to the Cards, via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “Being here where I know my heart is, it really matters to me to be in Arizona on the Cardinals.” Golden, who signed with the Giants in 2019 and stayed in New York via the rare UFA tender last year, is set for free agency for a third straight year.
Big expenses at the top of the Rams‘ payroll have forced the team to let several role players walk in recent offseasons. This year may be no exception. The Rams are unlikely to re-sign Josh Reynolds, Malcolm Brown or Gerald Everett, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Rams having drafted contributors at these positions in 2020, and having two wideouts (Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods) and a tight end (Tyler Higbee) signed long-term already, pointed this trio to free agency.
Jeff Wilson‘s one-year 49ers extension can max out at $3.6MM, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. Wilson will receive $2.05MM fully guaranteed, with another possible $1.55MM available via incentives. The incentives would give Wilson a chance to out-earn the low-end RFA tender price, which OverTheCap projects at $2.24MM for running backs. He is still due to be a 2022 UFA.
Nick Mullens underwent elbow surgery last month, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This, however, was not a Tommy John operation, with Garafolo adding the 49ers backup’s injury was not as severe as initially feared. He is expected to be ready by training camp.

Seahawks Fire OC Brian Schottenheimer

January 12th, 2021 at 6:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after Pete Carroll said Brian Schottenheimer would stay on as offensive coordinator, the Seahawks have reversed course. Schottenheimer is out after three seasons as Seattle’s OC, according to the team, which cited “philosophical differences.”

Carroll said Monday during an interview with 710 ESPN Seattle that Schottenheimer would be back next season (Twitter link via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta), but the franchise will instead look for his replacement.

Often criticized for overusing the run game, Schottenheimer nevertheless oversaw a season that saw Russell Wilson break the team’s single-season touchdown pass record (40) and D.K. Metcalf break Steve Largent‘s 35-year-old single-season receiving yardage record (1,303). The traditionally conservative Carroll attributed the Seahawks’ return to a run-oriented offense down the stretch as an effort to prevent turnovers. This came after Wilson struggled with interceptions during a midseason swoon. The Seahawks ranked 17th in total offense but eighth in points this season; they ranked top 10 in scoring during each of Schottenheimer’s three seasons calling plays.

Seattle was on a historic offensive pace (and a historically bad defensive pace) to start the season, turning Wilson loose in September and October. But he committed seven turnovers in losses to the Bills and Rams. After five 300-yard passing performances from Weeks 1-9, the ninth-year quarterback did not eclipse 270 yards in any game in the season’s second half. Schottenheimer’s firing comes after Wilson’s woeful 11-for-27 playoff outing, which included a pick-six on a wide receiver screen pass.

Schottenheimer, 47, has been an NFL OC for three teams — the Jets, Rams and Seahawks — and began that run in 2006. He stayed on during multiple Jets coaching regimes but was let go after the 2011 season. During his 12 seasons in charge of offenses, only one of them — the 2019 Seahawks — ranked in the top 10 in total yardage.

As for the next Seahawks OC, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo throws out former Chargers play-caller Shane Steichen as a name under consideration (Twitter links). Despite the Chargers going through a coaching change, Steichen’s work with Justin Herbert should ensure he will see another play-calling opportunity soon.

GM/Staff Notes: Staley, Schoen, Jets, Eagles

January 7th, 2021 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons have secured an interview with Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter). This will be Schoen’s second GM interview this offseason. He met with the Panthers earlier this week. Schoen has been on the rise for a bit now, moving from Dolphins player personnel director (2014-17) to the assistant GM of a Bills franchise that has raised its profile considerably during his tenure under Brandon Beane. Under Beane, Schoen and Sean McDermott, the Bills have made three playoff berths in four years. They were 0-for-17 in the 21st century previously.

Here is the latest from the GM and coaching carousels:

Brandon Staley‘s Rams defense ranked first in scoring defense this season, and that could allow him to continue a meteoric NFL rise. In addition to the Jets requesting an interview with Staley, the Chargers are interested in speaking with the first-year coordinator, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets. Staley spent the 2018 season as the Bears’ outside linebackers coach before following Vic Fangio to Denver and working in the same capacity there. But he has become a hot coaching commodity who could end up in a leading role soon.
The assistant leading the charge against Staley’s defense Saturday may be competing with him for the Jets‘ top coaching job. Seahawks OC Brian Schottenheimer is expected to be on the Jets’ radar to replace Adam Gase, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Schottenheimer has been Seattle’s OC for three seasons but served in that role in New York longer, working as offensive coordinator under Eric Mangini and Rex Ryan from 2006-11.
While the Eagles are retaining Doug Pederson, they will lose DC Jim Schwartz and part ways with two offensive assistants. Marty Mornhinweg and Rich Scangarello will not be back in Philly next season, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. Despite both joining the Eagles last season, each was on an expiring contract. This marks another offseason of shakeups to Pederson’s offensive staff. Both Frank Reich and John DeFilippo departed in 2018, while the Eagles fired OC Mike Groh last year. Both Mornhinweg and Scangarello held non-position-coaching titles; the former worked as a senior consultant and the latter functioned as a senior assistant. Mornhinweg is a veteran NFL OC who served as Lions HC from 2001-02, while Scangarello was the Broncos’ OC last season.
The Washington GM search is beginning to take shape. In addition to ex-GMs Marty Hurney, Martin Mayhew and Rick Smith, Washington is expected to show interest in ex-Panthers exec Ryan Cowden, per La Canfora. While Cowden worked with Ron Rivera in Carolina, he has been with the Titans since 2016. He currently works as their VP of player personnel.