Cowboys HC Schottenheimer ID'd as one of NFL's most under-pressure people in 2025
Head coach of the Dallas Cowboys is arguably one of the most intensely scrutinized jobs in all of sports. Heading into the 2025 season, that challenge goes to Brian Schottenheimer, named the 10th head coach in franchise history in January, after Dallas parted ways with Mike McCarthy following a five-year run that concluded with a 7-10 finish last season.
No matter who roams the sidelines for Dallas, winning a Super Bowl is something no Dallas coach has been able to accomplish in three decades. Adding to the pressure is the feeling the current window could be close to shutting when considering the team's All-Pro quarterback, Dak Prescott is just days away from his 32nd birthday and , coming off another major injury. Several of the team's notable players over the past five seasons have moved on, most recently future hall of fame guard Zack Martin who retired earlier this offseason.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell reecently listed 15 players, coaches, or GMs under the most pressure in 2025, with Schottenheimer as one of four head coaches mentioned.
"I've argued that Chicago's Ben Johnson is the most-hyped first-time hire with no prior head coaching experience in decades... On the other end of the spectrum is Schottenheimer, who is a decade removed from his last head coaching interview."
Once seen as a hot coaching candidate during his time with the Chargers and Jets, "those rumors dried up," as he bounced around the league. Outside of a brief spark in Seattle during the first half of 2020, "there haven't been any hints that he was on radar as an NFL head coach."
Still, "things have a funny way of resolving themselves," and after three seasons in Dallas, Schottenheimer "went through the interview process and won over team owner Jerry Jones." Now, he's leading the Cowboys, 'the league's highest-profile job,' despite a promotion that "didn't inspire much excitement."
And while some might question the hire, history reminds that "we don't know much about head coaching hires or their chances of succeeding." Barnwell explains that for every uer-successful Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan, there's a Adam Gase or Nathaniel Hackett cautionary tale. Schottenheimer 'might turn out to be a great coach. He might also be overmatched."
Schottenheimer, the son of the late great Marty Schottenheimer, has long waited for this moment. His credentials, however, may not have carried much weight with critics who were stunned by the move. The 51-year-old head coach has had past stints as an offensive coordinator with the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and before becoming named head coach, was the OC of the Cowboys in 2023 and 2024.
While the rookie head coach has shown flashes of promise, most notably during his run in Seattle from 2018 to 2020 when the Seahawks regularly ranked top 10 in red zone and scoring offense, his overall track record has told a different story. The 2020 season marked Russell Wilson's statistical peak, as he set career highs in completions (384), completion percentage (68.8), and touchdown passes (40) under Schottenheimer's guidance.
His first season as offensive coordinator in Dallas brought similar highs: the Cowboys led the league in scoring, ranked third in passing yards, and finished second on third downs, while Prescott concluded that season second in MVP voting, finishing with a career high in completions, passer rating, and a league leading 36 touchdown passes.
However, despite those standout campaigns, consistency has eluded him.
Across 14 years as an NFL offensive coordinator, Schottenheimer has produced just one top-10 total offense finish, back in 2019 with Seattle. Now elevated to head coach, he'll be tasked with more than just calling plays and trying to help Dallas jump back into top 10 territory. The big question: can he help Prescott rediscover his 2023 form after an underwhelming and highly paid 2024 season that saw major regression in an offense that ranked 17th overall a season ago and saw a drop-off in yards and points.
Dallas added several new pieces this past offseason most notably WR George Pickens via trade and rookie first round guard Tyler Booker, while revamping the backfield with three new faces. Schottenheimer brought in several new assistants to try and help steer the ship back into the right direction.
Only time will tell how Jones' latest coaching experiment will go for the 2025 Cowboys and beyond. On one end, Schottenheimer could surprise the NFL world the same way Sean McVay and Dan Quinn did during their first seasons leading their respective teams, or things could fly south, and the pressure could mount up quickly not just for the head coach, but for Jones, who has been rather more patient with his last two head coaches, to evaluate his decision sooner rather than later.
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