The Dallas Cowboys finally have their tenth head coach in franchise history. Brian Schottenheimer, who has been in Dallas for the past three seasons and has been working as the offensive coordinator under Mike McCarthy since 2023, is the new Cowboys head coach.
This comes as a big surprise. Schottenheimer wasn't among the leading candidates when the job became available last week. Deion Sanders, Robert Saleh, and Kellen Moore were considered to have a chance at the gig. Cowboys fans wanted Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn but those speculations never went anywhere as both coordinators accepted head coaching offers earlier this week.
As premium head coaching candidates started coming off the market, Schottenheimer became a frontrunner for the Cowboys vacancy.
That is what makes this pick a controversial one. Cowboys fans aren't particularly thrilled about the decision to go with a low-profile first-time head coach.
This decision also puts a few Cowboys on thin ice. Let's take a look at which Cowboys have the most to lose in the Schottenheimer era.
Jonathan Mingo
Schottenheimer has a ton of experience as an offensive coordinator. He held the role for six years with the Jets, three seasons with the Rams, and three with the Seahawks before arriving in Dallas. All his best offenses featured a strong running game. He has worked under coaches like Rex Ryan, Jeff Fisher, and Pete Carroll- all head coaches who are big believers in the ground game.
Therefore, we can assume that Schottenheimer will emphasize the ground-and-pound approach to offense in his tenure, especially after the disastrous running game in 2024.
This doesn't bode well for the Cowboys wide receivers. Jonathan Mingo, who was acquired by the Cowboys in the 2024 trade deadline, will likely be hurt by the Schottenheimer hire. He was a major disappointment after arriving in Dallas, finishing with five catches for 46 yards and no touchdowns in eight games. He is at real risk of seeing his role further minimized or even cut before the season.