Dallas Cowboys new head coach Brian Schottenheimer described his feelings about his first opportunity leading an NFL team. After spending years as part of various coaching staffs across the league, Schottenheimer opened up about the responsibility handed to him by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to guide the franchise into the upcoming season.
Following the Cowboys‘ disappointing 2024 campaign, fans are eagerly anticipating what Schottenheimer brings to the table. Offensive struggles plagued the team last season, raising concerns among the fanbase. With Schottenheimer’s appointment, expectations are sky-high for his game plan and the direction he envisions for the team in 2025.
Schottenheimer isn’t stepping into unfamiliar territory. Having served as part of former head coach Mike McCarthy’s staff, he already has a strong understanding of the organization and its dynamics. This familiarity could allow him to hit the ground running and steer the Cowboys back on track. However, in his introductory press conference, Schottenheimer offered an honest and heartfelt reflection on his journey.
Speaking with NFL Network’s Jane Slater, Schottenheimer was asked if he ever imagined his first head coaching opportunity would come with the Dallas Cowboys. “If I’m being honest, no,” he admitted. “I thought I’d be a head coach—I never gave up on that dream. I talked about it earlier—it’s something I set as a goal in my 20s. I didn’t just dream it; I worked toward it.”
Schottenheimer’s heartfelt message about his journey
It wasn’t just his first remarks as the Cowboys’ head coach—Schottenheimer shared a deeply personal account of the long road he traveled to finally land his dream job. “A couple of opportunities that had presented themselves to me kind of faded away, and the last 19 years have been pretty rough,” Schottenheimer said.
He continued: “I thought that maybe it wouldn’t happen. But I also heard my dad’s voice saying, ‘Just work, trust the process, go through it, be authentic.’ That was a great testament and a great lesson to never give up on your dreams.”
Those words have kept him pushing forward, even when the odds were against him. Now, with this opportunity in hand, Schottenheimer faces significant challenges in his first NFL head coaching stint. He knows he needs to prove that he’s the one who can help get the Cowboys back on track.
Schottenheimer’s first words on Cowboys star Dak Prescott
During his introduction, Schottenheimer spoke about his relationship with Dak Prescott. “Iron sharpens iron. Dak and I have an incredible relationship, just like I have with all these guys,” Schottenheimer said.
“Dak and I know how to push each other’s buttons, and we know how to have the hard conversations,” he added. “I laugh because I think about training camp last year—a ball got intercepted, and we had this thing in place where if you throw an interception, you come out. So, I took Dak out, and he’s like, ‘What?’ He pushed back. The competitor in him is special.”