FRISCO, Texas — Now that the head coach has been announced, Brian Schottenheimer becoming the tenth in the history of the franchise to stand that post, the Dallas Cowboys will have to move fairly swiftly to fill out the coaching staff around him as the NFL offseason calendar speeds along.
There are plenty of rumors and speculation on who might receive an interview for defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and what could amount to each respective role of position coach, seeing as each of the incumbent contracts expired on Jan. 14, alongside that of Mike McCarthy's.
Bookmark this tracker as a means of keeping an eye on the daily ongoings/hirings following the Schottenheimer news, as it will be updated regularly until the staff is completely solidified.
Jan. 28
The expectation has become reality for Eberflus and the Cowboys. A highly-touted defensive mind who once coordinated the defensive passing game for the Cowboys while also coaching up the team's linebackers corps has officially signed on to return to the organization as defensive coordinator under Brian Schottenheimer. His signing signifies the beginning of what should be a swift filling of roles within the coaching staff.
Jan. 27
Brian Schottenheimer made it clear he is “ready now” to take on the responsibilities of being a head coach, the first of his lengthy football career that has mostly seen him operate as a position coach and/or offensive coordinator. This will also see him calling plays for the first time with the Cowboys in addition to being the team's head coach, but the search continues for his offensive coordinator.
Jan. 27
Despite his name making the rounds during the Cowboys' coaching search, with a belief he'd potentially be added as a position coach in 2025, Jason Witten is not expected to join his former team in any capacity this coming season, per owner and general manager Jerry Jones — though Jones continues to praise the future Hall of Famer as a "great coach" and mentor. Witten recently celebrated a Texas state championship as a coach at the high school level.
Jan. 26
As the Cowboys work to nail down the staff beneath Schottenheimer, eyes pivot to the defensive side of the ball, and particularly with Harris no longer in the fold. At defensive coordinator, a role held by Mike Zimmer in 2024, the expectation is that Matt Eberflus — former Cowboys' linebackers coach and defense passing game coordinator — will reunite with the club to take over the role likely vacated by Zimmer, the latter reportedly opting to retire from the NFL.
Jan. 24
The search for the next Cowboys’ head coach concluded with the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer, the offensive coordinator in Dallas under Mike McCarthy since 2023. It ends a search that included several candidates, headlined by informal talks with both Deion Sanders and Schottenheimer's previous mentor, Pete Carroll; and along with former Cowboys' offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Jan. 24
Al Harris agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears to take on the role as their defensive passing game coordinator under incoming head coach Ben Johnson, parting ways with the Cowboys after a stellar stretch as defensive backs coach and, in 2024, assistant head coach to Mike McCarthy. It adds to the void that will need to be filled this offseason, and the sooner the better, with the head coach having been chosen and both the East-West Shrine Bown and Reese's Senior Bowl both taking place in a few days.
