Cowboys Hire Son of Legend to Replace Kellen Moore as OC

Getty Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys have hired Brian Schottenheimer to be their next offensive coordinator.

Schottenheimer takes up the role previously held by Kellen Moore, who mutually parted ways with the Cowboys shortly after the season.

“I am very happy to have Brian take on this key role with our team,” head coach Mike McCarthy said in a release. “He has been an important part of our staff already and has a great grasp of where we are and where we want to go.”

Brian Schottenheimer is the son of legendary coach Marty Schottenheimer but has built up quite the resume himself with over two decades in the NFL. And he’s been in the building for the Cowboys, serving as an offensive consultant last season.

Schottenheimer’s most notable experience has come as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks and the Rams. He’s also served as quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets.

“Brian has an exceptionally strong foundation, history and relationships beyond his time here that translate very well into understanding what our approach to operating and executing will be for the future,” McCarthy said. “This will be an exciting and efficient transition for us that I am confident will help yield the growth and results we all want and expect.”

Mike McCarthy Still to Call Offensive Plays

While Schottenheimer will play a key role in constructing the offense, McCarthy will call the plays, something owner Jerry Jones is very excited about.

“This is the logical step to build on it and use what we’ve established,” Jones said. “This is a time for us to build on. That’s what this is: a building step.”

Jones said McCarthy will run a version of what he had established with the Green Bay Packers, which was a West Coast offense. He coached for 13 seasons with the Packers, winning a Super Bowl with the Aaron Rodgers-led attack.

“It will be, in principle, the way he operated in Green Bay, which I’m sure he’ll tell you evolved,” said Jones, who added that the option for McCarthy to call plays has always been on the table, but it makes more sense now than when he first became head coach back in 2020.”

McCarthy Had Disagreements With Kellen Moore

The Cowboys’ offense was humming for a good part of the season, finishing fourth in points per game at 26.8. However, there appeared to be a rift between Moore and McCarthy, which was enough for the sides to part ways this offseason.

“I think he wanted Kellen to roll but he didn’t totally agree 100 percent with all of the philosophies and the small things that goes into it,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said of the relationship, “and it ultimately came down to, hey, if we’re going to take the next step, he wants to see if he can make the changes that he thinks can make the difference that he didn’t necessarily think that Kellen might have believed in.

It didn’t take Moore long to land a new gig. He’s now the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.