10 things to know about new Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer

The Dallas Cowboys announced that offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has been hired as the team’s new head coach, replacing Mike McCarthy.

Here are 10 things fans should know about the 10th head coach in franchise history.

1. Coaching is in his blood

Schottenheimer has been an NFL coach since the 2001 season when he became the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders under his father Marty Schottenheimer, who was then head coach.

The elder Schottenheimer was a head coach for the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers, and the Commanders for 21 seasons and has the eighth-most wins of any head coach in NFL history.

2. Won a national championship in college

Schottenheimer started his college career with the Kansas Jayhawks in 1992 before transferring to Florida the following season.

He earned the backup quarterback role behind Danny Wuerffel. In the 1996 season, the team which won the national championship. Wuerffel won the Heisman trophy after defeating in-state rival Florida State 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl.

3. His father was against his transfer to Florida

Schottenheimer, who had already given up on his NFL dreams, transferred to Florida to learn how to be a head coach from Steve Spurrier.

However, his father was against the transfer, saying his son had committed to Kansas and should honor.

4. High school All-American

Before winning a national championship at Florida, Schottenheimer dominated the competition as one of the best high school quarterbacks in Kansas for Blue Valley High School.

Schottenheimer led the Tigers to a state championship in 1991 on his way to an All-American selection.

He said winning the state championship in high school was his most memorable moment in football.

5. Schottenheimer has contributed to The 33rd Team

Before becoming the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator during the 2023 season, he wrote for sports website The33rdteam.com analyzing the NFL and interviewing future NFL stars.

The 33rd Team is a football think tank created by Mike Tannenbaum and features content from former coaches, executives, current players and other NFL experts.

6. What’s his favorite movie?

Schottenheimer said his favorite movie, was The Shawshank Redemption, in a 2016 interview introducing him, as the new quarterback’s coach for the Indianapolis Colts.

7. Is a first-time head coach

Though Schottenheimer has coached at the college and pro level for almost 30 years he has never been a head coach.

However, Schottenheimer has had head coaching opportunities.

In 2007 he withdrew himself from consideration for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job. Then, in 2010, he turned down the Buffalo Bills’ request to interview him for their head coaching vacancy, electing to stay as offensive coordinator for the New York Jets.

8. Coached some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks

During his career, Schottenheimer has coached Brett Favre during his Jets tenure, Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers at the beginning of their careers in San Diego and Russell Wilson in Seattle.

9. One of his favorite sayings is the me-to-you factor

The phrase represents the trust that quarterbacks and wide receivers must have to achieve success on the field which he described as quarterbacks knowing wide receivers will be there when they throw the ball and that the receivers know if they’re open the quarterback will find them.

10. He replaces one of his biggest coaching influences

Schottenheimer replaced McCarthy as head coach and had previously called him one of the biggest influences on his fundamentals and beliefs as a coach.

Before Dallas, the pair worked together in 1998 while McCarthy was quarterbacks coach for the Chiefs under the elder Schottenheimer who was head coach. at the time.