FRISCO, Texas – One thing I've learned covering the Dallas Cowboys is that very few things come out of left field.
This team is covered by the media more than any other sports franchise in the world, so it's hard for anything to come out of left field regarding the Cowboys. Yet, somehow, Brian Schottenheimer being named head coach is a shock to people inside this building, to the media members and, of course, to the fans.
Now, by the time this move was announced on Friday, it had become expected. But in the last week or so, this was not on anyone's radar.
That being said, I'm still trying to find out if that's a good or bad thing.
Because I've heard over and over how Schottenheimer wasn't coveted by any other team. No one else was knocking on his door to become a head coach or even to become a coordinator.
But then again, that can't be the reason not to pursue an opportunity for change. And clearly, Jerry and Stephen Jones have seen something in Schottenheimer over the last couple of years that no one else obviously would, or could, see.
Is that a negative or a positive? Again, we're about to find out.
Hey, I'm not going to lie and say that I saw this coming or even thought in the past that this would be a possible move. To be honest, I really haven't had many interactions with Schottenheimer at all in the past two seasons he has been here.
So I won't sit here today and try to convince you that he's going to be a great head coach, or that he's the right fit, or anything like that. All that would be is me relaying what others have told me.
Then again, isn't that what a lot of media and fans are doing as well? Going off what they've heard someone else say? Maybe it's what they've seen from his past, or more importantly, what they haven't seen.
Just by looking into Schottenheimer's coaching history, there's not a lot of consistent success you could point to as the reason he got this chance. And that includes the stops he's been at in the past, or even his last couple of years in Dallas. The offensive coordinator position here in 2024 with the Cowboys wouldn't seem like a position that would land a promotion. I get that. I think Schottenheimer gets that, too.
But here's where I think a lot of people are missing the point – and it's not really missing it, but rather they just haven't had the opportunity to witness it yet.
Brian Schottenheimer is the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for a lot of things that you just can't simply see. You can't see the way he handles himself behind closed doors with his players and colleagues. You can't see the way he prepares for situations, both during the week and on game day. You can't see the way he's handled a somewhat awkward situation of being the offensive coordinator in title only without the usual responsibility of calling the plays.
As Jerry alluded to a few times, we can't see the way he "bit his lip" during times of disagreement with Mike McCarthy, who Schottenheimer said on Monday is one of his best friends. That alone would suggest a unique dynamic that only a person with elite people skills can manage effectively.
Again, these are things you just can't see. We heard the word "culture" mentioned several times, including at the very end when Schottenheimer said he wants his time with the Cowboys to be remembered as him being a winner and as someone who's built the best culture we've ever seen in sports.
The first thing is something we can see – and something we just haven't seen here in 30 years. The second thing is one of those invisible words such as leadership, integrity, heart and, of course, culture that get mentioned over and over, usually following the substantial things we can see, such as on-field success.
At the end of the day, that's all that people really care about. Right now, we can't see the things that led to Jerry Jones' decision to hire Brian Schottenheimer.
And we'll probably never actually see them until we see the things that we're all looking for.
Bottom line: Brian Schottenheimer said all the right things on Monday. If this is even possible, he won the press conference and won the day.
But none of that will matter, just like the criticism surrounding this hire, if he goes out and wins games and leads this team to playoff success.
