New Cowboys Head Coach Reveals Players Have Already Surprised Him

Monday was a major moment for the Dallas Cowboys as they officially promoted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach. The 51-year-old coach will be tasked with bringing America's Team back to glory after an abysmal 7-10 performance during the 2024 NFL season.

Schottenheimer's hiring has been a lightning rod for criticism from Cowboys fans who wanted to see a more experienced name as the head coach (Mike Vrabel, Bill Belichick, etc.). There's nothing the fanbase can do at this point except reality and wish the first-year bench boss nothing but the best going forward.

With fans divided by the Cowboys' head coaching decision, some of Schottenheimer's new players decided to give him a surprise dose of positivity.

Cowboys Players Surprise Brian Schottenheimer at Introductory Press Conference

Following Monday's press conference, Schottenheimer sat down with Cowboys writer Nick Eatman to discuss everything from the hiring process to his hopes for the team. Although the former OC expected his family to be in attendance, he was caught off guard (and emotional) when he realized several players were also there to show their support.

"I almost lost it when I saw them," Schottenheimer said. "I thought there'd be one or two (players)... To see the number of guys that were there, I think it shows we're off to a fast start. We're connected, we know each other's hearts, dreams, and what we need to get done."

"I love and appreciate it and will remember that part maybe as much as anything in today's conversations."

One of the players in attendance was quarterback and team leader Dak Prescott, who's more than familiar with Schottenheimer after spending the last three seasons working together. The new Cowboys HC spoke about his "incredible relationship" with Prescott during the conference, specifying how they know how to bring out the best in each other.

"(Prescott's) the type of worker that changes an entire organization, and I think he and I see the game of football offensively very, very similar," Schottenheimer said. "We'll have tons of communication moving forward on some of the thoughts we wanna do."

Now that Prescott has made it abundantly clear that he supports his new head coach, perhaps the fanbase will follow his lead.

Schottenheimer wasn't the most glamorous hiring, but it's nice knowing that the players are already in his corner. A strong team culture can only be built when coaches and players trust each other, and it looks like that sort of foundation is being constructed in Dallas this offseason.

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