Brian Schottenheimer's biggest strength could make him a good head coach: 3 positives from Dallas Cowboys' decision to hire him
Okay, so you've heard all the negatives about the Dallas Cowboys hiring Brian Schottenheimer as the next head coach. I've written many articles about it, mostly focusing on how unserious the team's search to replace Mike McCarthy was and to how wild the Jason Witten situation is. I've also wrote about Schottenheimer's offenses rarely ranking near […]
Okay, so you've heard all the negatives about the Dallas Cowboys hiring Brian Schottenheimer as the next head coach. I've written many articles about it, mostly focusing on how unserious the team's search to replace Mike McCarthy was and to how wild the Jason Witten situation is.
I've also wrote about Schottenheimer's offenses rarely ranking near the top of the NFL and how he's likely going to call plays for the Cowboys inn 2025.
But I think it's only fair to now look at it from the other point of view: What are the positives of hiring Schottenheimer? I came up with three. It's up to him to add to the list now that the job is his.
1. Charisma and communication make good leaders
You could easily argue Schottenheimer's press conferences were the most energetic among Cowboys coaches over the last couple of years with Dan Quinn coming in at a close second. That's who he is as a coach. He's easy to like and he's relatable, which explains reports that indicate he's liked by the locker room. That's big for a head coach in the NFL and it's Brian's biggest strength.
Many Xs and Os gurus never make it as head coaches because of their personalities aren't strong enough. That won't be Schottenheimer's undoing as head coach, that's for sure. He's got that down.
2. Continuity for Dak Prescott and the offense
Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb's deals combine for $376 million. Keeping the same language on offense could go a long way in avoiding a long adaptation process to a new coach.
Let me be clear: Having the same language on offense doesn't mean the scheme will be exactly the same. Schottenheimer could prove to be a very different play caller for the Cowboys than McCarthy was. Language is just that: The words used to describe concepts. The same play can be called a thousand different names across all of football. But changing the terms isn't an easy process and Dallas' offensive personnel isn't going to change much in 2025. Continuity could be a big positive in the short term.
3. Lunda Wells is back?
Wells has been one of the best assistant coaches in Dallas since he arrived in 2020. He's been responsible for the development of Jake Ferguson, John Stephens Jr., Luke Schoonmaker, and most recently Brevyn Spann-Ford and has had a successful career elsewhere. With Schottenheimer as head coach, it's possible if not likely he sticks around.
Role would be a question mark as rumors about Jason Witten joining the staff grow. Wells has coached offensive line for the New York Giants and LSU Tigers in the past. Keeping him on the staff is a positive from the hire, though an overlooked one.
