No one is accusing second-year Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer of lacking in work ethic. While there were obvious holes in the team last year, and while Schottenheimer was hardly perfect in his play-calling, he did leave an impression as a coach who is willing to burn the candle at both ends and did a good job corralling players through a difficult season.
But apparently, as Schottenheimer sees it, he should be working more. The 17-mile commute from his house in McKinney to The Star each day was taking too long–21 minutes without traffic, though it’s rare for Dallas roadways to be without traffic. So Schotty, according to the Dallas Morning News, is picking up stakes and leaving town.
The Morning News quoted listing agent Carrie Himel explaining the reason for the more: ““It really is just time being closer to work, and every minute counts, when you’re at that level, for him.”
Brian Schottenheimer Sold $3.8 Million House
The Dallas Morning News also had some details on Schottenheimer’s old house and the impetus for the personal change for the Cowboys coach.
From the paper: “The home, at 6101 Crystal Cove Court, was listed for $3.8 million on April 17, according to Zillow. The McKinney home is in a cul-de-sac in the Stonebridge Ranch community. The home also now has a buyer, Himel said.
“Schottenheimer’s previous drive to the headquarters would have been about 15 miles, over a 30-minute drive.”
Cowboys Defense Flopped in 2025
Schottenheimer did leave a good impression in his first season running the Cowboys, despite the 7-9-1 record in the standings. The Cowboys promoted Schottenheimer from offensive coordinator to head coach last January after moving on from Mike McCarthy, but did not do much to fix their most outstanding problem–the defense, especially after the late-August trade of Micah Parsons left Dallas without a defensive centerpiece.
Schottenheimer largely left the defense to the defensive staff, especially coordinator Matt Eberflus, but got more involved as the year went on. The offense remained a juggernaut in Dallas under Schottenheimer, who calls the play, but the defense was a disaster that could not be fixed on the fly. The Cowboys gave up 511 points, the most in franchise history and the most in the league in 2025.
Brian Schottenheimer Will Get Full Credit (or Blame) for Cowboys 2026 Results
But this year, Schottenheimer had a much louder voice in the decision to pick the new defensive coordinator, seeking a DC that can excel as a teacher while also reconfiguring the Cowboys defense and its personnel. All that happened with the selection of Christian Parker to take over for Eberflus.
At 34, Parker is a sharp departure from the traditional Cowboys DCs, which have generally been former head coaches retreaded as coordinators. That change was driven by Schottenheimer, which means he has a massive stake in the results–he took little blame for the failure of the defense in 2025, but if it happens again in 2026, it’ll be on the head coach.
Schottenheimer understands that. As he said, “”When you look back on last year, we didn’t win enough games. You got to win games. You got to get into the playoffs, get in the postseason, and you got to play your best football. We knew changes had to be made, but when you make changes you better make sure you’re making the right changes.”
Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer Makes Major Personal Change