Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has come under scrutiny for the process in which he went about hiring new head coach Brian Schottenheimer. From being unable to agree on an extension with Mike McCarthy, not parting ways with McCarthy until a week after the regular season, and not interviewing top head coaching candidates like Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn, Jones could have set the Cowboys up better for an during the hiring process.
Johnson and Glenn were widely viewed as two of the best coaching candidates in this year's cycle after leading the Detroit Lions back to prominence over the past two seasons. However, Jones reportedly did not consider either of the Lions coordinators as top options for the Cowboys head coach position, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.
Machota reported that Jones believed Schottenheimer was a better candidate because of his familiarity with the Cowboys situation, having been the team's offensive coordinator over the last two seasons. Jones also believes that Schottenheimer has the same skills as both Johnson and Glenn.
From talking to Jerry Jones:
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 27, 2025
— Deion Sanders was never a serious candidate to be the Cowboys’ next coach.
— It doesn’t sound like Jason Witten will be on the coaching staff.
— Brian Schottenheimer will call offensive plays.
— Jerry didn’t feel like he needed to meet with…
During this hiring cycle, the Cowboys only interviewed Schottenheimer, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Seattle Seahawks assistant Leslie Frazier, and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh before hiring Schottenheimer. The team also had a conversation with former Cowboys star and Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, but Sanders reportedly never was a serious candidate for the position.
Schottenheimer does hold over a decade more of overall coaching experience than both Johnson and Glenn. While Johnson and Glenn have only served as a coordinator for one stint with the Lions, Schottenheimer has previously held the offensive coordinator position for four teams. This does not necessarily mean that Schottenheimer has more skill or expertise than either Johnson or Glenn, but at least signifies he is highly experienced as he takes on the lead role with the arguably the most prominent team in the NFL.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jerry Jones Explains Why Brian Schottenheimer Was Better Option Than Lions' Coordinators.
