By most accounts, Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer carried himself well in Year 1 as a head coach. That is probably not a surprise. The Schottenheimer name certainly means a lot in coaching circles–his father, Marty Schottenheimer, was 200-126-1 in 21 years as a head coach in the NFL–and Schottenheimer himself has ample experience on a variety of staffs. He had been the offensive coordinator for four different franchises before he got this first crack as a head coach with the Cowboys last year.
Dallas was just 7-9-1 on the field, but in large part, Schottenheimer was given a pass for the poor showing. That’s because he did not make the hire at defensive coordinator, where the Cowboys brought back former linebackers coach Matt Eberflus, who was a disaster in the role. Dallas gave up a franchise-record 511 points in 2025, and few could blame that on Schottenheimer.
That, combined with his endless positivity and his sensitive but resolute handling of the Marshawn Kneeland suicide, left Schotty in good standing around most of the franchise, even with just seven wins on the ledger.
Cowboys ‘Need to Be a Playoff Team’
But the era of good feeling is likely over for the Cowboys. The team did things differently in this offseason, and that means that Schottenheimer won’t be able to smile through the mediocrity. He is going to need to win.
That’s the sentiment from Jon Machota of The Athletic, expressed during a podcast appearance on “The Cowboys Collective” this week.
Said Machota, even in a rough-and-tumble NFC, a playoff appearance is the minimum of expectations for Schottenheimer: “You were talking about Brian Schottenheimer and, yes, he has done a lot of good things. But he has got to win ball games. In his second year, the expectations are, this has got to be a playoff team. Now, of course, you get hit with a rash of injuries, key players, it is what it is. But I am saying, like, they’re giving him the coaching staff he wants, the personnel he wants. This needs to be a playoff team.”
Cowboys Gave Brian Schottenheimer Power
Indeed, the Cowboys did approach the search to replace Eberflus with a much different process than owner Jerry Jones typically employs. Jones likes to bring in fired former head coaches (like Eberflus and Mike Zimmer before him, and Dan Quinn before him) to man coordinator spots, because, as he has said, they are chasing redemption.
But Schottenheimer anted someone younger, more vibrant, and more teaching-focused. Thus, the team landed on 34-year-old Christian Parker. There is much riding for the team on Parker, but as Machota indicated, there is much riding for Schottenheimer on Parker, given that he was a Schottenheimer pick.
Much Riding on Defense for Brian Schottenheimer
What will be interesting in terms of how the Cowboys develop is who the team sees success in 2026. Offensively, it should be a juggernaut, with George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb back in the fold and Dak Prescott under center. The Cowboys ranked No. 10 offensively in Pro Football Focus’s grades last year, and could bump higher with another year together this season.
The defense was largely constructed with Parker’s input, and there figure to be anywhere from five to seven new starters on the unit, plus the reality that six of the team’s eight draft picks went to defensive players.
Again, that approach was largely at Schottenheimer’s behest. Now, it just needs to work.
Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer Put on Notice Amid ‘Expectations’