The NFL Head coaching vacancies are filling up fast, as the franchises are not wasting time getting a head start on the next season. The Bears hired Ben Johnson, the Raiders hired Pete Carroll, Mike Vrabel became the HC of the Pats, and Liam Coehn agreed to become the HC of the Jaguars. The Cowboys finally made their pick as well, and didn’t have to look outside to do it. Instead, they promoted Brian Schottenheimer to the position, who had previously served as an offensive coordinator. And as expected, long-time Dallas fan Skip Bayless didn’t like this move one bit.
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In a fifteen-minute-long rant on YouTube, Bayless expressed his disbelief and anguish at the hiring. He admitted he didn’t even consider this option a few weeks ago, finding it baffling that Jerry Jones would hire a career coordinator with no prior head coaching experience.
“Mike McCarthy’s best buddy just replaced him as next Mike McCarthy quote unquote head coach of my Dallas Cowboys. Translation: Next in line to be Jerry Jones’ puppet is Brian Schottenheimer. I’m shot in the heart. I’m shot in the gut,” Bayless said.
In Skip’s view, the decision to hire Schottenheimer has less to do with his qualifications and more to do with his connections. Bayless speculated that the Cowboys chose him because of the rapport Schottenheimer had built with Dak Prescott and, more importantly, his alignment with Jerry Jones’ vision.
Skip argued that Jones prefers a coach he can control, ensuring that ultimate power remains firmly in the hands of the owner—a hallmark of the Cowboys’ culture in Arlington. Schottenheimer, Bayless added, might be the perfect man to carry on that tradition.
Never one to hold back, Bayless ridiculed the hire even further, suggesting that Monty Python should produce a satirical movie about the life of Brian Schottenheimer. He went as far as to call the new head coach “a joke.”
So, why did the Cowboys really hire Brian Schottenheimer, especially when Jones was hesitant to extend Mike McCarthy? Schottenheimer is clearly McCarthy’s guy, and if the McCarthy era didn’t pan out, a clean break from his influence would seem like the logical choice. Yet, this decision feels like the exact opposite.
The hire likely stems from the Cowboys’ habit of procrastinating and waiting until the last minute. By the time they made their move, all the top coaching candidates in high demand had already been snapped up by other teams. This left Jones with limited options, ultimately leading to the decision to promote Schottenheimer—a move that feels more like settling than a step toward a better future.
They were eyeing a move for Deion Sanders, but like always, that move didn’t pan out. Schottenheimer did a good job as OC, but it remains to be seen if he actually called plays or was it, McCarthy? Who knows, he might succeed, but currently, things are not looking very optimistic in Dallas.
