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New York Times
7 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
How surprising was Brian Schottenheimer's Cowboys hiring? Even he didn't see it coming
FRISCO, Texas — He rolled up to the plush private jet at Teterboro Airport and boarded with a bounce in his step, excited about where the journey might lead. Brian Schottenheimer would not be flying anywhere this chilly January afternoon. His career, however, was about to take off. An NFL offensive coordinator at 33, the son of a coaching giant was following what seemed to be a natural course. On this day in 2007, Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga had come to New Jersey with two other team executives to talk to Schottenheimer, who called plays for the rival New York Jets, about the team's vacant head coaching position. With Nick Saban having abruptly bolted for Alabama, Huizenga was looking to hire a hot, young offensive strategist. Enter Schottenheimer, who, in his words, 'was Sean McVay before Sean McVay.' Advertisement The would-be prodigy known in NFL circles as 'Schotty' was interested — and feeling like his life was pretty charmed. He couldn't believe how big Huizenga's plane was, or that the man who'd built Blockbuster Video into an entertainment conglomerate was wooing a longtime customer who'd habitually incurred fees for failing to rewind. When Schottenheimer spools back to that moment now — and his decision to pass on the job — he wonders whether he was overly confident, or merely a tad clueless. Sitting in his office at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys' training facility, on a June afternoon, Schottenheimer recalls his mindset as he listened to Huizenga's pitch: 'I'm pretty convinced that I'm good at what I do. I think, 'There'll be more opportunities.'' Sure enough, three years later, Schottenheimer had a clear path to the Buffalo Bills' head coaching job. Once again, he'd tread cautiously. 'I was a little bit naïve,' he admits. 'I assumed it would always happen. But what I've learned is, it's never guaranteed.' He learned the hard way, spending much of the next decade and a half worrying he'd missed his window and wondering if his deepest conviction — that his skill set best aligned with running an NFL team — would go untested. Then, last January, something unexpected happened. As Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the organization's other top decision-makers pondered whether to keep coach Mike McCarthy, whose contract had expired, they began broaching the possibility of instead promoting McCarthy's no-longer-young-and-hot offensive coordinator. It was so improbable that Schottenheimer didn't see it coming, even after conducting a couple of end-of-season debriefing sessions with his bosses which, in retrospect, were clandestine job interviews. 'At first, he was just coming in wearing his coaching garb,' says Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones, Jerry's son. 'Then he upped his game and started showing up in a suit and tie, ʼcause he was getting an inkling that maybe there's more to this.' Advertisement There was. On Jan. 24, the Cowboys named Schottenheimer the 10th head coach in franchise history, one of the NFL's more unforeseen transactions in recent memory. A dozen hiring cycles had passed since Schottenheimer had last gotten a formal interview. At 51, with some dubious detours in his past (a trying season at Georgia; a surreal stint as quarterbacks coach during Urban Meyer's ruinous Jacksonville Jaguars tenure) he'd become somewhat of an afterthought. The Cowboys weren't deterred, reasoning that Schottenheimer's earlier promise — augmented by his wisdom, experience and perspective — could be a winning combination. 'The unique part about him,' says Will McClay, the Cowboys' vice president of player personnel, 'is him being the old whiz kid. He was the whiz kid before all these new whiz kids came up.' Schotterheimer's late father, Marty, may have been an old-school disciplinarian, but Brian has patterned his leadership style after Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his boss in Seattle from 2018 to 2020, and Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn, his close friend and former fellow Cowboys assistant. Positivity, competition and connection are the constant themes. From practice-field trash talk over blasting music to Greek dancing lessons to a steady stream of fancy dinners with players, Schottenheimer is infusing America's Team with a pent-up energy that has permeated the building. Schottenheimer, to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, is 'a guy that's been itching for his opportunity. The time hasn't always been right, and now it is. … He has an energetic passion for the game that's contagious and is as f—ing monumental as you could ever have from a head coach.' Can the Cowboys, after a desultory 7-10 season, harness that energy and get back to the playoffs, or contend for a Lombardi Trophy that has eluded them the past three decades? On paper, it seems like a daunting task. However, as they prepare to begin training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on Tuesday, the vibes are undeniably high. And no one familiar with Schottenheimer's journey is doubting his sincerity. Schottenheimer's confidence blossomed during his days as a University of Florida student-athlete, where he served as the backup quarterback to Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel and a de facto apprentice to Steve Spurrier, who coached the Gators to a national championship in 1996. Three and a half years after graduation, Schottenheimer joined his father in Washington, where newly-minted owner Daniel Snyder tabbed Marty as his first head coaching hire. The young quarterbacks coach made a strong impression on his players, including then-rookie Sage Rosenfels, who recalls, 'He had great energy and could connect with older and younger players. It felt like he was born to be a coach. And he liked to sing — especially Michael Jackson.' Advertisement The theme song for that 2001 season could have been 'Bad.' The elder Schottenheimer lost his first five games and clashed with Snyder. Despite rallying to finish 8-8, he was fired at season's end, an outcome that did not displease him. 'As we started winning games,' Marty Schottenheimer told me a few months later, 'the only thing I was worried about was that he somehow wouldn't fire me.' The experience was an overall win for the family, however: Brian began dating Marty's interim administrative assistant, Gemmi Weathers, and the couple married the following June. Hired by the San Diego Chargers following his dismissal in Washington, Marty Schottenheimer brought Brian along as quarterbacks coach. He helped develop Drew Brees and Philip Rivers into future stars. After the 2005 season, Brian branched out, joining newly hired Jets coach Eric Mangini's staff as offensive coordinator. His use of shifts and motions impressed then-Dolphins defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who passed along his praise to Huizenga. 'That's why I tease people that I was Sean McVay before Sean McVay,' Schottenheimer says. 'But Sean took the (Rams) job (in 2017).' Schottenheimer didn't, even after wowing Huizenga and team president Bryan Wiedmeier during their meeting on the Teterboro tarmac. After the Jets suffered a first-round playoff defeat to the New England Patriots, Schottenheimer flew west to watch his father's Chargers host the Pats in a divisional-round clash. This was a big moment for the elder Schottenheimer, who won 200 regular- season games but had endured a string of postseason heartbreaks, including, as the Cleveland Browns' head coach, consecutive AFC Championship Game defeats to the Denver Broncos (aka 'The Drive' and 'The Fumble'). The 2006 Chargers, after a 14-2 regular season, looked capable of erasing that stigma. They were in position to win after a late interception by safety Marlon McCree, but Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown forced a fumble during the return, giving Tom Brady the opening he needed to create more misery for Marty Schottenheimer. Gutted, Brian Schottenheimer called Wiedmeier after the game while sitting in an upstairs suite at Qualcomm Stadium. The Dolphins had planned to fly him out for a second interview — which Schottenheimer understood to be a formality. By that time, however, he'd decided to turn it down. 'The Jets stepped up, paid me four times what I was making to keep me,' he recalls. 'I was coming off the sting of being eliminated. We had two kids (son Sutton and daughter Savannah) under the age of 2 — Irish twins, ʼcause they're 357 days apart — and I hadn't seen them enough. I remember telling my wife, 'I'm tired.'' 'Just get on the plane and come down,' Wiedmeier urged him. 'Let's just figure it out.' 'I just can't do this right now,' Schottenheimer replied. Things shift abruptly in the NFL. Less than a month later, Marty Schottenheimer was fired, the victim of a power struggle with Chargers general manager A.J. Smith; he would never again coach in the league. Brian Schottenheimer stayed hot for a while longer. He interviewed for the Baltimore Ravens' head coaching vacancy after the 2007 season, with John Harbaugh ultimately getting the job. A year later, the Jets fired Mangini and interviewed Schottenheimer before choosing Rex Ryan. Schottenheimer stayed on as Ryan's offensive coordinator and flourished, using a run-heavy attack designed to reduce the burden on rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. That year, the Jets made the first of two consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances. In January 2010, Bills general manager Buddy Nix reached out to Schottenheimer's agent, Jimmy Sexton, about Buffalo's head coaching vacancy. The job, as Schottenheimer understood it, was his for the taking, pending a meeting with then-owner Ralph Wilson. 'It was, 'All Mr. Wilson wants to do is shake your hand,'' Schottenheimer says. Advertisement Instead, once again, he shook his head no. He felt unsure about the state of the franchise, its quarterback situation and the city itself, so he passed and waited for his next opportunity. 'I wasn't cocky,' he insists. 'That wasn't it, because I respect the position so much. But I just kept thinking, 'Ah, it'll happen when I'm ready.' Next thing you know, you're like, 'Dude, there's only 32 of these.'' After the 2011 season, Schottenheimer interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching vacancy but lost out to Mike Mularkey. He left the Jets anyway, making a lateral move to become newly hired St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher's offensive coordinator. A year later, the Jaguars, who had fired Mularkey, again interviewed Schottenheimer before settling on Gus Bradley. Then Schottenheimer's hot streak ended. Seven games into the 2013 season, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, the No. 1 pick of the 2010 draft, suffered a season-ending torn ACL. The following summer, he tore it again. The Rams went 6-10, with the league's 28th-ranked offense. Schottenheimer, mindful of chatter that the Rams were looking to leave St. Louis for Los Angeles, had resisted moving Gemmi and the kids from the family's home near Nashville. Down on his NFL existence and seeking a change, he took an interview at the University of Georgia, driving to Athens to meet with Mark Richt. 'I interviewed for like three hours in front of the full staff; it's at Mark's house, because we're trying to keep it quiet,' Schottenheimer remembers. 'And at the end, Mark says, 'Give me a couple of days. I've got a couple of people I want to talk to.'' Schottenheimer left and began driving back toward Nashville, which was about four hours away. 'Fifteen minutes later,' Schottenheimer says, 'my phone rings. It's Mark Richt. 'Brian, I want to hire you. Let's just do this right now. Come back, let's do this deal.'' Caught off guard, and utterly out of sorts, Schottenheimer said OK and turned the car around. He'd just accepted a job without talking to three very important people: Fisher (who'd wanted a crack at convincing him to stay before he made a decision), Sexton and Gemmi. 'I was so f—ed up,' Schottenheimer says. Advertisement When he called Gemmi to tell her the news, she replied, 'That's great. What's he paying you?' 'Uh … I don't know. I didn't ask.' 'Um, that's a big question.' Schottenheimer called Sexton. The agent wasn't thrilled, either. When he returned to the house, Richt told him the number he had in mind. Schottenheimer gulped. 'Mark,' he said, 'I can't do that. I can't take that much of a haircut from what I'm making in St. Louis.' 'Well,' Richt replied, 'I just got off the phone with the AD.' At Schottenheimer's insistence, Richt called back and persuaded his boss to increase the offer. It was an awkward start to a vexing experience. 'I just handled it all wrong,' Schottenheimer says. 'Which tells me, I just was in a bad place, man. I was frustrated with the NFL. I was frustrated with not being with my family. And I was like, you know, maybe small-town college is where I need to be.'' Suddenly, Schottenheimer was spending time at five-star recruit Terry Godwin's 5-year-old sister's basketball game and hanging with the incoming player and his girlfriend. One Sunday, on what he thought would be his first day off since taking the job, Schottenheimer and the other coaches were summoned to the football offices to greet a large group of potential recruits from Archer High in Lawrenceville, Ga. He showed up at 10:45 a.m., 45 minutes before they were supposed to arrive. 'Dude, they don't f—ing roll in until about 3:30,' he says. 'They're high school kids. They're on their time frame, bro. They ain't worried about our time frame. The only way I can say it is it's like you're a doctor — you're always on call.' Richt was fired in late November, and Schottenheimer bounced before the Bulldogs' bowl game. He wanted back in the NFL but knew he likely wouldn't return as a coordinator. He took a job as the Indianapolis Colts' quarterbacks coach, lasting two seasons. After star quarterback Andrew Luck missed the entire 2017 campaign with a shoulder injury, coach Chuck Pagano was fired, leaving Schottenheimer searching for the next opportunity. He'd land in a spot that would lead to a fundamental change in his coaching style — even as he'd grow increasingly discouraged about the prospects of fulfilling his dream. The 2018 Seattle Seahawks were supposed to be rebuilding. After getting dethroned as NFC West champions by the Rams in McVay's first season — after he'd become the youngest head coach in modern NFL history — the Seahawks parted ways with some of the star defenders who'd led them to consecutive Super Bowls earlier in the decade, including Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril. Carroll, the Seahawks' coach since 2010, also fired offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and replaced him with Schottenheimer, urging a return to the power-running attack Seattle had favored during running back Marshawn Lynch's heyday. Advertisement The results were eye-popping. The Seahawks led the NFL with 2,560 rushing yards and scored 428 points, the second-highest total in franchise history. They made the playoffs with a 10-6 record, suffering a 24-22 first-round defeat to the NFC East champion Cowboys. Schottenheimer's strategic intentions weren't understated: He frequently ran out of a 'Jumbo' formation featuring swing tackle George Fant as a sixth offensive lineman. As the hiring cycle neared, Schottenheimer figured he had done enough to get his name back in the mix. Duke Tobin, the Cincinnati Bengals' director of player personnel, called the Seahawks to get permission to speak to Schottenheimer about the team's head coaching vacancy. It would have been his first such interview in five years. However, following the Seahawks' playoff defeat, the Bengals backed off, ultimately hiring 35-year-old Zac Taylor, McVay's quarterbacks coach. During that time, Schottenheimer became 'dejected that I didn't get any looks. I was like, 'Damn, man, what do you have to do?' And I really just kind of hit a dry spell. I wasn't getting interviews. I was, like, 'You know what? Maybe it's passed me by.'' At the same time, he was becoming a better coach. Carroll's enthusiasm, energy and philosophical surety resonated with him and altered his mindset. 'I changed in Seattle,' he says. 'Pete was really good for me. He's as big an influence on me as there is in all of coaching.' Even when things fell apart in Seattle two years later, with Carroll firing Schottenheimer after the team's first-round playoff defeat to the Rams in Seattle, the two men parted amicably. Schottenheimer had essentially been caught in a blender as the relationship between Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson deteriorated. Early in the 2020 season, Wilson openly spoke about his desire to win league MVP honors, a mindset that aligned with the 'Let Russ Cook' movement fueled by some fans and media members. The Seahawks' offense had shifted in emphasis, and there was concern that Wilson was playing 'hero ball.' During a mid-November road game against the Rams, Wilson looked capable of scrambling for a touchdown but pulled up and attempted a high-risk end-zone throw that was intercepted by cornerback Darious Williams. Afterward, Carroll was upset, telling Schottenheimer, 'I don't recognize this offense' and mandating a shift to a lower-risk, run-heavy attack. The fallout: Following a season in which Seattle won the NFC West and put up more points than any team in franchise history, Schottenheimer was fired. At the time, he was grieving something more than his downward career turn. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016, Marty Schottenheimer was now in hospice. Brian went to his dying father's bedside, assuming he'd sit out the 2021 season and regroup. For the next week Meyer, who'd just been hired as the Jaguars' head coach, was putting a full-court press on Schottenheimer to become his quarterbacks coach, sending text messages that included Bible verses and telling him to take as much time as he needed as his father's condition worsened. The Jags had the No. 1 pick in the draft, with Clemson's Trevor Lawrence as their presumed target. Two women Schottenheimer loved and trusted — Gemmi and his mother, Pat — encouraged him to consider the offer. Advertisement 'My gut told me not to do it,' he says. 'And then honestly, sitting in the hospital room with my dad, my mom and wife both said, 'This is the exact type of job your dad would have taken. You're going to have the first pick in the draft and get a young, elite quarterback — once-in-a-lifetime.'' The next time Meyer called, Schottenheimer agreed to fly to Jacksonville. 'The minute I walked in the building,' he says, 'I was done, because we're all football junkies.' In retrospect, Schottenheimer wishes he'd turned around and run the other direction. He later learned that Meyer had already offered former Chargers coach Mike McCoy the job as quarterbacks coach — and that McCoy had been working in the team facility for several days while Meyer continued to woo Schottenheimer. Eventually, McCoy was sent away without actually being hired. 'What a s— show,' says one source familiar with the specifics of Meyer's hiring process. 'You can't make this stuff up.' Things got worse, exponentially. Meyer's tenure was a disaster, marred by a scandalous interaction with a young woman at his Ohio steakhouse following a 'Thursday Night Football' defeat to the Bengals and a steady stream of mistrust and bullying. In an infamous November coaches' meeting, Meyer, according to a witness, berated his assistants, calling them out one by one and intoning, 'What have you ever won?' Most of them stammered in response, hoping to defuse the situation. Finally, Meyer singled out Schottenheimer. 'I've won everywhere I've ever been,' he defiantly replied. Meyer was fired in mid-December. A few weeks later, Schottenheimer, once again, was looking for work. McCarthy, coming off a 12-5 season with the Cowboys, called his old friend (he was in Schottenheimer's wedding) and asked him to come aboard as a consultant. Rather than working with the offensive staff, Schottenheimer would help Quinn, then the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, prepare for each week's upcoming opponent. As he approached his 50th birthday, a man who once hoped to become the youngest head coach in NFL history confronted the likelihood that he'd never become one, period. Advertisement 'I thought I had missed my window,' he concedes. 'It's a young man's game. My wife and I would sit around at night sometimes talking about it during the offseason, like, 'Damn, it would have been cool to lead my own team at some point,' because I knew I would be good at it. I say that humbly. I knew that I'd be good at it because of my people skills, my ability to lead. But I had to come to peace with that.' Instead of becoming bitter, Schottenheimer put his disappointment aside and put those people skills to use, albeit in the shadows of his profession. 'What would you tell your younger self?' Schottenheimer asked that in a team meeting in late May, on 'Legends Day,' with many of the Cowboys' former greats in attendance. The newly hired head coach was the first to answer his own question, and what he shared with his players — and Hall of Famers such as Michael Irvin, Bob Lilly and Randy White — was based on recent experience. 'You're always being evaluated,' Schottenheimer said. 'So, no matter where you are in your job, no matter where you are on the depth chart today out there, don't get caught up in that. Do the best job you can at the role you're in, and just focus on that. And the reason I say that is because you're talking to a guy that is now addressing you as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. And three years ago, I was a f—ing consultant.' The consultant gig took Schottenheimer out of his comfort zone. 'Think of it more like the professor who does a sabbatical,' Quinn recalls. 'They're not necessarily going to study the exact same thing that they've been lecturing on for 20 years. It's like, 'Oh, so this is how it's done on the other side of the world.'' Following another 12-5 season that ended with a divisional-round playoff defeat to the San Francisco 49ers, McCarthy shook things up. He took over play-calling duties, firing offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and giving Schottenheimer that title. The new OC's relationship with Prescott, amiable to that point, was quickly tested. 'One of our first times bonding was after I threw a pick in a training camp practice,' Prescott recalls. 'He took me out, and I was f—ing mad. He's like, 'Well, you threw an interception.' And I go, 'Well, isn't it a f—ing practice?'' An animated conversation ensued, and Prescott remained angry. Afterward, the two men shook hands and talked it out. Says Prescott: 'I was heated and wanting to play, and it was more of like, 'When do I get to chance my risk versus reward?' But it was a great moment of, 'Hey, if you want to pull me, that's the standard, and I've got to eat it. I can't throw picks. I understand exactly why you took me out.' We connected over our standards, our love and our passion for the game. After that, it was a vibe.' Schottenheimer's connection to Prescott was one of the factors Jerry Jones and the Cowboys' other decision-makers considered as they assessed their options after last season. Initially, Schottenheimer believed he would be clearing out his office. McCarthy, he assumed, would sign a new contract and retain play-calling duties. Schottenheimer had already informed McCarthy he planned to pursue a play-calling role elsewhere. Two viable options emerged that could have sent Schottenheimer back to familiar territory: He'd spoken to a pair of defensive-minded head coaches who were searching for play-calling offensive coordinators, the Seahawks' Mike Macdonald and the Jets' Aaron Glenn. Advertisement Before heading back to Tennessee with his family, Schottenheimer had an end-of-season debriefing with a group that included Jerry and Stephen Jones and McClay. He spoke candidly about what he felt had gone wrong in 2024 and how he thought the situation could be improved. After a couple hours, he thanked his bosses and wished them well. 'Usually, that's the end of it,' Stephen Jones says. 'But obviously, we wanted more. We were all sitting around and we said, 'Maybe we need to start considering Schotty as a candidate here.'' When the Joneses and McCarthy couldn't agree on a new deal — with the contract's length as the sticking point — the team announced it was moving on and began a formal search. The next day, Schottenheimer's phone rang, with 'Blue Star (Innovation Partners)' flashing on the screen. To his surprise, the big boss was on the line. Recalls Schottenheimer: 'I'm like, 'What's up, Jerry?' And he's like, 'Let's see what this would look like … at the very least, I don't want you to leave. I want you to stay here, be my play caller, and be the offensive coordinator. But let's talk a little bit more in depth.'' Soon, he was back in the building, this time in a suit. In addition to Schottenheimer, the Cowboys interviewed Moore, who spent 2024 as the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator (and would become the New Orleans Saints' head coach after the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX victory). They also brought in two veteran coaches with defensive backgrounds, Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier. Again, Schottenheimer returned to Tennessee and waited. And waited. One thing working heavily in Schottenheimer's favor was his institutional knowledge. The Cowboys aren't a typical NFL organization, essentially run by the Jones family and a tight group of longtime confidantes while perpetually in the glare of the spotlight. 'He knows the building,' McClay says. 'He understands the people, and then he understands the players. He knows the lay of the land. He knows they're gonna talk about us in the media and all the s— that goes with it.' Says Stephen Jones: 'The more we talked, it just felt like our guy was right underneath our nose.' Advertisement And then — after yet another in-person interview — it happened. Schottenheimer got the job, meaning he and Marty would become the ninth father-son combination to serve as NFL head coaches. Brian called Gemmi, then handed the phone to Jerry Jones, who broke the news. It was a highly emotional moment for a family that has experienced the highs and lows of NFL life for a long, long time. As soon as he signed on the dotted line, the Cowboys' new head coach got to work. He impressed his new bosses immediately, assembling a staff that included several assistants he hadn't worked with before. 'It wasn't, call all your old buddies up and hire them,' Stephen Jones says. 'He went through it really meticulously.' Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, a former Cowboys assistant who was fired as the Chicago Bears' head coach last November, was recruited directly by Jerry Jones. He says he has been struck by Schottenheimer's 'humility' and curiosity. 'The thing that I've been absolutely blown away about with him is he is probably more prepared than any coach I've ever been around to be a head coach,' pass-game specialist Ken Dorsey says. Given how long Schottenheimer has waited for the moment, it's no surprise how passionate he is about meeting it. His schedule is packed, not only with traditional coaching chores but also with social engagements involving the men whose on-field performances will ultimately determine his fate. He has been thinking about this for a long time, evolving along the way, and he's determined to make every minute count. 'His self-awareness is really strong,' says Seahawks general manager John Schneider, who has known Brian since his days as a personnel executive with the Marty Schottenheimer-coached Kansas City Chiefs in the late 1990s. 'He'd always ask, 'What am I missing here? What are my blind spots, and what do I have to do to fix them?' 'I thought he was going to be a good head coach when we were in Washington together (in 2001). I thought if he would have taken one of those jobs (with the Dolphins or Bills) he would succeed. But, of course, you're always going to have more confidence and be more comfortable after you go through some things.' Having finally realized one dream, Schottenheimer remains mindful of another. His father, for all his accomplishments, never won the big one. Sitting in his office, he picks up a miniature mockup of the Lombardi Trophy, made by a 3D printer — a gift from his sister, Kristen Turner, to celebrate his hiring. Several phrases are inscribed on it, including 'The Gleam,' a reference to one of their father's iconic sayings that exhorted his players to capture that shiny prize. Advertisement That's the goal, but it's not the daily obsession. Brian's journey has taught him to become invested in the process, rather than hyper-focusing on the intended destination. 'Too many people look so far ahead,' he says. 'Just do the best job at where you are, and I really believe that. Because if I wasn't in this building (the previous three years), I'm not in this spot now. I mean, that's real. Otherwise, I'm not the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Because it wasn't like I was a hot name.' Back when he was hottest, Schottenheimer was far less certain about how he'd approach such an opportunity. Over the years, he says, 'my vision just became very clear. So when I stepped into this opportunity, I was more clear about the direction I wanted this team to be than I would have been in 2006, when I was 33 and the Miami Dolphins wanted me to come lead the team. It's the experience of a career, and a journey, and the ups and the downs, that sometimes prepare you for this more than being a hot coordinator.' In some ways, Schottenheimer has been preparing for this as long as he can remember. His father's intensity and passion were legendary; it wasn't uncommon for Marty Schottenheimer to burst into tears while addressing his players in meetings. 'I cried the other day, too — on Legends Day,' Schottenheimer says. He was telling his players that Lilly, now 85, had initially conveyed to the team that he'd be unable to attend; he no longer drives, his wife was in poor health, and he hadn't left his house for some time. When White, whose career began in 1975 — the year after Lilly played his final game — heard about that complication, he insisted on playing chauffeur. Says Brian: 'Randy said, 'I'll go get him. Imagine Randy White driving over an hour, or whatever, to go pick up Bob Lilly and bring him here …' Schottenheimer gets choked up as he continues: 'Hey, brother — that's a brotherhood. How cool is that? 'After all those years, I'll still go get him. He's my brother for life.' 'That's what we're trying to build here, man.' At long last — 18 1/2 years after boarding Huizenga's private jet — Schottenheimer will have his chance to build something his way. He won't be flying blind.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Florida is now the Stanley Cup's semi-permanent home. What does that mean for Canada?
'There are a lot of things I do not understand about this proposed expansion,' New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey wrote in December 1992, as the NHL wrapped up its annual Board of Governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. During that week's meeting, the league received expansion proposals for two teams. One was for a team in Anaheim, California, backed by Disney. The other was for a team in Miami, Florida, put forward by waste management-and-VHS-video magnate, Wayne Huizenga. 'What makes it think the Sun Belt is ready for all these hockey teams?' Vecsey wondered. At the time, the answer was money. With more time, the answer seems to be: because championship hockey teams can be built anywhere, including in the South. On Tuesday night in Florida, the Panthers won their second-straight Stanley Cup against the Edmonton Oilers, this time in six games – one fewer than they needed last season. If anything, you could now argue that there's no better place to build a championship NHL team than the southern US. Since 1990, the Stanley Cup has been awarded to a team based in the South nine times – but five of those have come in the last six years. And three of those have also been against Canadian teams. Advertisement North of the border back in 1992, the fear of American dominance was palpable, even though, at that time, the most recent expansion to Tampa Bay and San Jose (alongside Ottawa) looked like an on-ice failure. Nevertheless, the mere presence of these teams, not to mention two more, was a concern. 'This is the age of marketing, my friends, and we're selling image, brand names, fuzzy feelings and merchandising opportunities,' Globe and Mail sports columnist John Allemang warned after the NHL's December 1992 meeting, sarcastically proposing changes for the increasingly Americanized, commodified game. 'Let's scrap this three-period stuff, introduce the concept of half-time,' he snarked. 'Emilio Estevez learned to skate for Mighty Ducks, give him a chance, tell him the wife [Paula Abdul] can sing the national anthem. The American anthem, stupid. Is there any other?' Beyond the potential for merch sales and richer owners, 'does anyone else win?' Montreal Gazette columnist Pat Hickey asked around the same time. 'Then there's the question of what these new franchises do for the Canadian psyche,' Hickey wrote. 'If we ever thought this was our game, the latest decision on expansion should dispel this notion.' It seems hardly worth repeating that Florida's win Tuesday further extends the Canadian Stanley Cup drought to now 32 years, more or less fulfilling the worst fears of those sports columnists, and many others, who saw the NHL's US growth as a threat to the sport's true identity and thus by extension to that of its birth country, Canada. And they weren't entirely wrong. This year, more than most others, the existential threat of American dominance on the ice spoke to a bigger Canadian national identity crisis that would have seemed unthinkable in 1992. The idea that Canada, including hockey, could be subsumed by the US has felt more pressing than ever. Canadians – like swimming phenom Summer McIntosh or NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – are dominating in other sports. Youth hockey numbers may be declining, loosening generational ties to the game. Yet, nothing still spurs deep national anxiety like hockey failure. So yes, yet another Cup hoisted in the US – in Florida, again, no less – certainly stings a little from a nationalist point of view for Canadians. It fulfils all the worst nightmares of 1992's sports writers. But the Oilers' loss is frankly more frustrating strictly from a hockey perspective. Taken together, the Oilers' undisciplined play, general lack of offence, uneven goaltending, and lacklustre defence in the clutch, made it not only difficult to believe they could win, but that they even should. The Panthers are a scary-good hockey club, with a roster filled with pure gamers, the likes of which other teams only have one or two. Florida play an aggressive, often suffocating offence, and are backed by elite goaltending. The Panthers play great hockey. They just happen to be in Florida. There may not be a lot else to it. Advertisement It may be, in fact, that the quality of hockey in south Florida is so high because of, rather than in spite of, all that marketing and money and commercialization the NHL welcomed in the early 1990s. Expansion meant that the league – and by extension, the game – had to find a way to appeal to new audiences, most of whom had been living just fine without it until then. This meant that the NHL had to rethink its product. It had to embrace something much of the hockey world still often reflexively rejects – change. Over the decades, the NHL gradually morphed hockey into something new. Along the way, the game lost some aspects, like enforcers, but added things like goals. It got faster, more finessed, more exciting, more watchable, even as some argued it was somehow softer. It hasn't always gone smoothly (it's worth mentioning here that Atlanta is looking to get a new team for the third time), but its audiences and profits also grew, more or less according to plan. And so far, hockey hasn't lost its Canadian identity. After the NHL's buzzy, highly commercialized Four Nations tournament this past spring, it may even be more entrenched than ever. Looking back now, it's clear that the cynical, calculated marketing — and of course the money — were indeed the point of the NHL's expansion to a place like Florida. But they didn't destroy hockey. Instead, it just keeps getting better.
The Guardian
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Florida is now the Stanley Cup's semi-permanent home. What does that mean for Canada?
'There are a lot of things I do not understand about this proposed expansion,' New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey wrote in December 1992, as the NHL wrapped up its annual Board of Governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. During that week's meeting, the league received expansion proposals for two teams. One was for a team in Anaheim, California, backed by Disney. The other was for a team in Miami, Florida, put forward by waste management-and-VHS-video magnate, Wayne Huizenga. 'What makes it think the Sun Belt is ready for all these hockey teams?' Vecsey wondered. At the time, the answer was money. With more time, the answer seems to be: because championship hockey teams can be built anywhere, including in the South. On Tuesday night in Florida, the Panthers won their second-straight Stanley Cup against the Edmonton Oilers, this time in six games – one fewer than they needed last season. If anything, you could now argue that there's no better place to build a championship NHL team than the southern US. Since 1990, the Stanley Cup has been awarded to a team based in the South nine times – but five of those have come in the last six years. And three of those have also been against Canadian teams. North of the border back in 1992, the fear of American dominance was palpable, even though, at that time, the most recent expansion to Tampa Bay and San Jose (alongside Ottawa) looked like an on-ice failure. Nevertheless, the mere presence of these teams, not to mention two more, was a concern. 'This is the age of marketing, my friends, and we're selling image, brand names, fuzzy feelings and merchandising opportunities,' Globe and Mail sports columnist John Allemang warned after the NHL's December 1992 meeting, sarcastically proposing changes for the increasingly Americanized, commodified game. 'Let's scrap this three-period stuff, introduce the concept of half-time,' he snarked. 'Emilio Estevez learned to skate for Mighty Ducks, give him a chance, tell him the wife [Paula Abdul] can sing the national anthem. The American anthem, stupid. Is there any other?' Beyond the potential for merch sales and richer owners, 'does anyone else win?' Montreal Gazette columnist Pat Hickey asked around the same time. 'Then there's the question of what these new franchises do for the Canadian psyche,' Hickey wrote. 'If we ever thought this was our game, the latest decision on expansion should dispel this notion.' It seems hardly worth repeating that Florida's win Tuesday further extends the Canadian Stanley Cup drought to now 32 years, more or less fulfilling the worst fears of those sports columnists, and many others, who saw the NHL's US growth as a threat to the sport's true identity and thus by extension to that of its birth country, Canada. And they weren't entirely wrong. This year, more than most others, the existential threat of American dominance on the ice spoke to a bigger Canadian national identity crisis that would have seemed unthinkable in 1992. The idea that Canada, including hockey, could be subsumed by the US has felt more pressing than ever. Canadians – like swimming phenom Summer McIntosh or NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – are dominating in other sports. Youth hockey numbers may be declining, loosening generational ties to the game. Yet, nothing still spurs deep national anxiety like hockey failure. So yes, yet another Cup hoisted in the US – in Florida, again, no less – certainly stings a little from a nationalist point of view for Canadians. It fulfils all the worst nightmares of 1992's sports writers. But the Oilers' loss is frankly more frustrating strictly from a hockey perspective. Taken together, the Oilers' undisciplined play, general lack of offence, uneven goaltending, and lacklustre defence in the clutch, made it not only difficult to believe they could win, but that they even should. The Panthers are a scary-good hockey club, with a roster filled with pure gamers, the likes of which other teams only have one or two. Florida play an aggressive, often suffocating offence, and are backed by elite goaltending. The Panthers play great hockey. They just happen to be in Florida. There may not be a lot else to it. It may be, in fact, that the quality of hockey in south Florida is so high because of, rather than in spite of, all that marketing and money and commercialization the NHL welcomed in the early 1990s. Expansion meant that the league – and by extension, the game – had to find a way to appeal to new audiences, most of whom had been living just fine without it until then. This meant that the NHL had to rethink its product. It had to embrace something much of the hockey world still often reflexively rejects – change. Over the decades, the NHL gradually morphed hockey into something new. Along the way, the game lost some aspects, like enforcers, but added things like goals. It got faster, more finessed, more exciting, more watchable, even as some argued it was somehow softer. It hasn't always gone smoothly (it's worth mentioning here that Atlanta is looking to get a new team for the third time), but its audiences and profits also grew, more or less according to plan. And so far, hockey hasn't lost its Canadian identity. After the NHL's buzzy, highly commercialized Four Nations tournament this past spring, it may even be more entrenched than ever. Looking back now, it's clear that the cynical, calculated marketing — and of course the money — were indeed the point of the NHL's expansion to a place like Florida. But they didn't destroy hockey. Instead, it just keeps getting better.
Associated Press
24-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Avenue Z Wins Business of the Year H. Wayne Huizenga Startup Award
MIAMI, FL - April 23, 2025 ( NEWMEDIAWIRE ) - Avenue Z, the fast-scaling marketing and communications agency redefining how brands earn influence, has been named the recipient of the 2025 H. Wayne Huizenga Startup of the Year Award at the South Florida Business Journal's Business of the Year Awards. The recognition honors Avenue Z's rapid national growth, industry innovation, and cultural impact in its first two years. Founded by digital marketing veteran Jeffrey Herzog, Avenue Z brings strategic communications, digital marketing, and performance media together under one roof - helping brands and businesses grow faster and stand out in a world increasingly shaped by AI. 'We're not just building a company, we're building a movement,' said Herzog, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Avenue Z, during his acceptance remarks. 'This award means a lot because Wayne Huizenga's story reflects our own core values: passion, integrity, and impact.' The H. Wayne Huizenga Startup Award honors early-stage companies that exhibit strong financial performance, bold vision, and a commitment to lasting impact. The award is named for Wayne Huizenga - the legendary South Florida entrepreneur who built three Fortune 500 companies from scratch, including Waste Management, AutoNation, and owned/co-owned the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and other teams. 'Wayne didn't just build companies - he built movements,' Herzog said. 'He drove trucks himself. He worked 80-hour weeks. He earned every win and gave back without needing the spotlight. That legacy of relentless execution is one we aspire to every day at Avenue Z.' Founded in 2023, Avenue Z has already expanded into multiple U.S. markets, scaled its team to 100+ full-time employees, launched a creators studio, and expanded its Miami presence fivefold. Earlier this year, the company launched a first-to-market AI Optimization Solution designed to help brands navigate and lead in the new era of AI-powered search and discovery. 'We've been here before,' said Herzog, referencing his early days launching iCrossing in 1998, one of the first search marketing firms. 'I see that same opportunity again - only now, it's AI, strategic communications, and cultural influence that are reshaping the game.' The 2025 Business of the Year Awards were held April 17, 2025, at Gulfstream Park's Sport of Kings Theater in Hallandale Beach. Avenue Z was honored alongside top-performing companies and leaders across South Florida, including Benjamin Leon, Jr. (Lifetime Achievement), Ortega Construction, H&CO, and The Education Fund. 'To Miami and South Florida - you are our launchpad,' Herzog concluded. 'Your energy is unmatched, and your belief in bold ideas makes this moment possible. We're honored. We're grateful. And we're just getting started.' For more information, visit or About Avenue Z Avenue Z is the leading marketing and communications agency pioneering AI optimization, driving influence across all channels - from ChatGPT to The Wall Street Journal to TikTok. With 30 years of leadership in search and digital marketing, we apply strategic communications, high-impact PR, performance media, and AI optimization to help companies build reputation and grow revenue through our proprietary, technology-driven approach. We are the agency for influence. Visit or Social Links X | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn Media Contact Full Name: Rachael Zahn Title: SVP, Strategic Marketing Company Name: Avenue Z Email: [email protected] Website: View the original release on
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Avenue Z Wins Business of the Year H. Wayne Huizenga Startup Award
MIAMI, FL - April 23, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - Avenue Z, the fast-scaling marketing and communications agency redefining how brands earn influence, has been named the recipient of the 2025 H. Wayne Huizenga Startup of the Year Award at the South Florida Business Journal's Business of the Year Awards. The recognition honors Avenue Z's rapid national growth, industry innovation, and cultural impact in its first two years. Founded by digital marketing veteran Jeffrey Herzog, Avenue Z brings strategic communications, digital marketing, and performance media together under one roof - helping brands and businesses grow faster and stand out in a world increasingly shaped by AI. "We're not just building a company, we're building a movement," said Herzog, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Avenue Z, during his acceptance remarks. "This award means a lot because Wayne Huizenga's story reflects our own core values: passion, integrity, and impact." The H. Wayne Huizenga Startup Award honors early-stage companies that exhibit strong financial performance, bold vision, and a commitment to lasting impact. The award is named for Wayne Huizenga - the legendary South Florida entrepreneur who built three Fortune 500 companies from scratch, including Waste Management, AutoNation, and owned/co-owned the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and other teams. "Wayne didn't just build companies - he built movements," Herzog said. "He drove trucks himself. He worked 80-hour weeks. He earned every win and gave back without needing the spotlight. That legacy of relentless execution is one we aspire to every day at Avenue Z." Founded in 2023, Avenue Z has already expanded into multiple U.S. markets, scaled its team to 100+ full-time employees, launched a creators studio, and expanded its Miami presence fivefold. Earlier this year, the company launched a first-to-market AI Optimization Solution designed to help brands navigate and lead in the new era of AI-powered search and discovery. "We've been here before," said Herzog, referencing his early days launching iCrossing in 1998, one of the first search marketing firms. "I see that same opportunity again - only now, it's AI, strategic communications, and cultural influence that are reshaping the game." The 2025 Business of the Year Awards were held April 17, 2025, at Gulfstream Park's Sport of Kings Theater in Hallandale Beach. Avenue Z was honored alongside top-performing companies and leaders across South Florida, including Benjamin Leon, Jr. (Lifetime Achievement), Ortega Construction, H&CO, and The Education Fund. "To Miami and South Florida - you are our launchpad," Herzog concluded. "Your energy is unmatched, and your belief in bold ideas makes this moment possible. We're honored. We're grateful. And we're just getting started." For more information, visit or About Avenue Z Avenue Z is the leading marketing and communications agency pioneering AI optimization, driving influence across all channels - from ChatGPT to The Wall Street Journal to TikTok. With 30 years of leadership in search and digital marketing, we apply strategic communications, high-impact PR, performance media, and AI optimization to help companies build reputation and grow revenue through our proprietary, technology-driven approach. We are the agency for influence. Visit or Social LinksX | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn Media Contact Full Name: Rachael ZahnTitle: SVP, Strategic MarketingCompany Name: Avenue ZEmail: press@ View the original release on Sign in to access your portfolio
